Overcast Crusin' The OC

Gloomy day on the Bayshore Bikeway

Quite odd that Memorial Day falls on a Monday, with a week left to the end of the month! NCCC had their usual ride today out of San Marcos Restaurant Row, but I'll opt out and ride up in Orange County instead. It is getting lighter earlier every day now, so my $12 Dorcey helmet light would work just fine (gift from John Mestemacher). With rear blinkie blazing, I left home at 0430 to catch the Sprinter train over to the Oceanside start.

Arriving at 0526, I hit the Station bathroom, before riding over to my usual Circle K for a start receipt. Cheapest thing on the menu today was a mini-Snicker bar for 15 cents. (Note: On the return, this same mini-bar costs 33 cents!) Switched my Dorcey over to flash mode and opted for the ramp to I-5 northward. What traffic? Nada today. Couldn't believe it. Just me and a car now and then. Riding thru the Rest Area, I noticed every space was filled with parked cars. Where are all these people? Must be napping!

Gearing up, I made quick work of the 20mph section to the Las Pulgas Exit. I wasn't feeling quite on cue, but rode steady northward. Entering San Onofre Campground, noticed almost a full house... maybe 90% full. Most were still sleeping, with food stacked on the picnic tables waiting for the bears to feast. Or coyotes? Met only one cyclists this entire stretch. Maybe too early for a Memorial Day ride? Stopped at bathroom #1 for some water. Several surfers were there chatting it up. Trestles was loaded with bikers packing surfboards. Holiday mood today. These guys were riding all over the place. Made a stop at Carl's Jr. for a bathroom break. Hey, they removed all the outside tables and cleaned up the place. Guess the homeless camping out there made for the change.

Brown's Trail leads to San Diego Bike Trail eastward

Still overcast and as I rode north the light drizzle was hit and miss. With no car traffic, I decided on the normal route instead of optional Salt Creek Bike route inland. Started to see more cyclists around Laguna Niguel. A pleasant surprise was no dodging traffic around roadside Laguna Main Park. Didn't turn on Bayside Dr., but went straight up Coast Hwy. for the Control stop at Chevron. Chatted with a big guy on a Fuji carbon, busily texting away. 50-cent toffee, iced the bottles and I was off for some Bike Path riding.

Bike traffic picked up on the Bayshore Bikeway. I noticed they re-striped with arrows indicating individual bike lanes and also a jogging lane now. I was amped up to 19 mph, as two white-shirted racer big guys were bearing down. Looped around and soon was on the San Diego Bike Path eastward, closing in on a rider ahead. I pulled up and checked out his Merlin Ti frame, said "Good Morning". He looked over and took off. Followed him all the way to Harvard Ave, where he ran a red light and of course, I stopped! Soon, the two racer boys in white jerseys came up and ran a full red light, crossing the intersection thru turning cars. No wonder motorists hate cyclists!

Peters Trail found me tracking the white-shirt boys. Closing in, they decided to turn around. Shucks, no fun, you red-light runners. I slogged up Jamboree Road, legs feeling like crap. Cut over to the bike path and was soon at the Chevron Control at Chapman Ave. Two young fixie guys were sitting outside. Inside, I got the cheapest thing around: 89cent Bevita Biscuts. Some guy had two dogs with paws up on the Subway counter. Real nice. Sat outside, as this big guy rolled in on a green Co-Motion Cro-moly frame. Said he was going back down Santiago Cyn., like me. Had a nice talk about steel frames. He left before me.

Saw a lot of TT riders hammering westward on Santiago Cyn. today. There were several signs along the route indicating a Triathlon here on June 5th.  Nice cyclists activity going my way too. I managed a little out-of the saddle/dead-legwork on the few climbs to Cook Corner. Entered the Aliso Creek Bikeway, to some nice downhill riding. Made an emergency Porta-Potty stop by the Lake Forest soccer fields. Ahhh. After that, followed a huge guy on a mtb to finish off the Bikeway. Several climbs later, I was at the Mission Viejo Train Station. No cheaper Metro today. Sorry.

Chapman Ave. Chevron/Subway Control

Rough road riding down to San Juan Capistrano. Of course, tourists were packed in there, crowding around the  Mission. Straight thru town, the headwind picked up all the way to the coast. Passed a group of mixed local riders and some dude was trying to track me down. I slowly let him gasp up to within 30 feet, then amped it up 1mph more. Kept doing this till he finally dropped around 22 mph. This guy was on it! Slight tailwind now as my legs were stiff for the climb up thru San Clemente town. Nil traffic made a quick ride thru. Looking for a McDonalds to no avail, I stopped instead at the rando fav. Carls' Jr. again. Must be a tour bus just came in, they were packed in and the long lines made me just get water. I was soon off and out of there. Turning onto Trestles Bike Path, I noticed NB I-5 traffic nearly stopped and bumper-to-bumper!

Slight tailwind now as I was looking for a hook-up riding south. Not to be. Only a bikini clad Asian hot-bod at the Campground #1 instead. Added a electrolyte tab to my bottle and kept going. The campground was near empty now vs. 90% full earlier today. Desolate almost. Kept a steady 17mph down to Las Pulgas Road. Decided I would try the I-5 route now. One on-ramp sign was covered over. The other orange sign was still there: "No Pedestrians Or Bikes Allowed". In rando-speak that meant only one thing: Crank-er up!

First off, there were several signs in the bike lane ahead... "Trucks Entering Highway". Also a T-Rail barrier separated the shoulder from traffic. I dodged behind the barrier and kept moving thru the debris. Glancing over, the NB lanes were still gridlocked. Several signs later, I passed thru the Rest Area. Back on I-5, there was more signs and a temporary-moveable barrier in the way. Skirting behind, I finally cleared obstacles and had a open lane again. Lite traffic SB, but the gridlock NB lasted to Oceanside. What a life sitting in traffic. Don't know where all those cars come from unless Mexico? Almost looked like rain clouds over Pendleton hills. Pulled off and was soon back to the Circle K, where the mini-Snicker Bar had doubled in price! Now that's inflation!

Jumped on the next Sprinter train back to San Marcos. It was all but empty, just my bike, rusted chain MTB and a well dressed guy in a wheelchair. Stretched out all the way back. Good decision to ride OC today. Nil traffic made the coast trip worthwhile this time. Spotty blue skies when I cycled home. Go figure?

Don't ride I-5 SB from Las Pulgas! Not till they finish up the shoulder construction work. Soon, we hope!

2012 Crusin' The OC Video

Cloudy-overcast
Hi: 67     Lo: 56
Wind: SW 8mph
126 miles


-randorides