Rando Discovers Abandon Impala...just another day on the road!

Still have a slightly sore tendon? from the Saturday hammerfest. Did the usual Epson Salt soak, hot-cold thing over Sunday and Monday. It feels a little better when I walk, but still not 80%. I don't know if it's a tendon or muscle, but I think it's in the area of the Tibilas Anterior Tendon, which runs up from the ankle and goes above the calf muscle up the lower leg. You rub that hard and it is still sore. There are 40+ muscles around the foot and a whole lot of tendons and ligaments in there. If I went to the doc he would just say "tendonitis" as always. With the added sole lugs on my SIDI's, my feet don't rotate much when I cycle now

Didn't know if I would cycle today or not, so I did other things early and finally decided I would give 'er a go and see what happens to my tendons. A little cool this AM, around 54 degrees. I finally left the house after 0700 and started the ride at 0730. I didn't know what to do with the sunny skies at the start! I'm used to dark start. Very nice for a change.

Black Chevy Impala was abandon in the bike lane with doors open!

They have restocked the cheapo Reese Pieces again at the local 7-Eleven so that was a good start. Did the spin-theory riding through San Marcos and decided to go over to Escondido and hook up with Centre City Pkwy. northbound. Near Mesa Rock Rd., I saw a black car on the other side of the road with it's driver door open. I cruised past and then started thinking that this didn't look right. I swung around and checked it out:
Running Chevy Impala in the bike lane with door open fully into the traffic lane, no one around. I looked around in the heavy bushes roadside and saw nothing. I looked far up Mesa Rock Road and saw slight person in a tan shirt walking uphill. He ran out of gas? NO! Car broke down? NO! Mmmm, something not quite right as I parked my SOMA far behind the car. I flagged a landscape driver down and ask him to call 911 and report a running abandon car in the traffic lane on Centre City Pkwy. He did that and drove off.

I waited around a while and witnessed a lot of traffic swinging out and honking at the abandon car as they whizzed by. Another driver pulled up and we chatted. He called 911 earlier and came back to check on me! I was OK, for sure. Soon the CHP came in a SUV with no lights flashing. Officer went over and shut the Impala's door. He had a slight black person in a tan shirt in the front seat. After a short chat, the officer said this guy was a little "crazy" and walking along I-15 when he picked him up. The whole event took around 40 minutes and my tendon didn't feel that great now standing around. Things settled up, I headed up Centre City, back on route. I noticed a moto CHP and a regular CHP car heading to the event location.

Riding down past Lawrence Welk Resort, I came up on a NCCC lady rider. Don't remember her name, but she rides with the other Thursday gruppo out of Magee Park too. We chatted along and she soon turned around to do some hill repeats up Champagne climb! Good for her. I later thought I should have given her a handy Rando Card. I proceeded to spin over to Bonsall, feeling better all the time. Stopped at McDonalds for a receipt. Ended up getting some real healthful CC Cookies for $1.08 to munch on the way. Iced up my one bottle and rode west.

CHP finally arrived at the scene in a SUV

Not much going on the SLR today. It was after 0900 and bike traffic was very light. No one to ride with, but passed several exercising riders while riding at 17mph into the light headwind. Rode past the Oceanside Pier, where the waves looked good for high tide. Stopped at Pacific Coast Cycles and did some "window shopping". Fargo looking blue Salsa Vaya in the window. They open at 1100 on Tuesday. Proceeded down the coast at a moderate pace under perfect skies and a mild tailwind. Stopped at Nytro for a water refill and sat for a banana. Joe was busy showing racers a set of ceramic bearing bottom brackets. What a salesman.

Stopped at Swami's for a re-furbished bathroom break. Rode with some guy down to Solana Beach where I turned inland. Had a spike or two in the tendon during the climb to Rancho Santa Fe. Might be the stress or the tight cleat/pedal contact. Rubbed a little "White Flower" on it and carried on. Got back at the San Marcos well after 1300. Looks like a 3/5 ride for me. With all that was going on and the delay along the route it ended up well. Hit the ice bags and soak after riding home.

Clear skies all day
Hi: 84     Lo: 62
69 miles or so



-randorides

SIDI Shoe Lug Repair

SIDI's, add-ons, templates and cut leather pieces

When the lugs on my SIDI's wear out, I have added on and built them up using hard leather. A while back I took them into the local Shoe Repair place and they wanted around $45 to add on some of the lugs. I could buy some of their hard sole material for $35 a sheet. This stuff was really hard and looked like the original lug material. These shoes are still in nice shape after over 5 years, so I needed to do some repairs.

Out of my price range, so I'll do it myself. Also, I took my MTB PI shoes into a Vista shoe store 4 years ago and wanted some patches put on both shoes, over the small toe area, where it was bulging-out and wearing thin. They did the job and it looked like crap. He glued & sewed a big piece of vinyl over each side. FORGET IT! Awful workmanship for that money!

This stuff will stick anything, even your fingers!

First off had to remove the edges and rough file the lugs. Then I wiped them all down with alcohol. I rounded up some hard leather from several coasters Zaharah had lying around. Made some templates of the worn lugs. Traced them over on the leather. Cut them carefully with a X-Acto Knife. You have to use some really strong glue to hold the pieces on. Not Super Glue for sure. After a tip from Joe Morgan (Nytro Multisport), I used some Goop on both surfaces. Let it dry for 3 minutes. It's like Contact Cement, but thicker. Then it's time for the leather pieces and let it all dry for 24 hours or longer.

They work really well and add height to your soles near the clip-ins. It was quite hard to get them clipped in at first. No leg movement or side-to-side, but they loosened up after a 100 mile ride. After cleaning up the shoes, I polish them with Kiwi Heel & Edge Black Polish. Makes them nice and like-new shiny! Also adds a tough waterproof layer over the leather. This should last till next year! The money I saved will go to my rando bike-packing/dirt bike fund. Ya, right?

-randorides

Fix My Bike Populaire

Fix My Bike route we rode today.

Keith wanted to do a Saturday ride to keep his RUSA P-Series alive, so it's ON. I sent out notes to a few regular rando riders at the last minute (Thursday PM) to keep them in the loop. Looks like Mike Shaw will join up and Dan Phillips might ride in from Oceanside for this one. His buddy Bill Stevenson is riding the Santa Cruz 600 up north today with Mac Imacseng.

Soaked my left ankle in Epson Salts and rubbed it down good. Normally I wouldn't be riding today, but I figured I could manage at a moderate pace and take a few days off later. I packed a bag of electrolyte tabs for Keith and headed out at 0630. Forgot a packet of Chamois Creme, so I turned around and went back to pick one up. Always carry some extra stuff, just in case! Took the north route to Mulberry 7-Eleven. Mike and Dan were there already. Went inside and looked for a Reese Piece for 20 cents. None. Got a duplicate pre-start receipt and chatted with the boys. No Keith yet. We waited till 0700 and rolled out, per schedule. I saw a couple of riders at the Albertson's parking lot and we turned in there, figuring Keith might have parked there as before. Nope, just a couple of "big" guys. Something must have happened, as Keith is usually quite punctual.*

Followed the route through Harmony Grove and down Del Dios with Dan setting the pace as we were talking. Not a lot of traffic for Saturday morning. Rancho Santa Fe town was sleepy as we rode the rollers to the coast. Stopped at the Solana Donut Control and picked up some Red Velvet donuts for receipt. These are supposed to be a baked donut. I threw out the notion of a Yuma ride to the guys. Mike said Sandy wanted to do it. Otherwise the idea was lukewarm. Weather was really good as compared to the last few weeks of HEAT.

Red Velvet donut at Solana Donut Control for receipt Yummy!

Several fast groups along the Coast today sprinkled in with regular riders. Rolled northward past Nytro, where there was the usual gruppo at the feed station for their Saturday morning ride. Further north, I got a rear flat on the well worn-out Gators. Pulled over into a mobile home park and sat down by some garlic flowers! Nice and stinky. Made a standard change and we were soon on our way northward again. Stopped by at Magee Park for water and a bathroom break. Large group at the park church this morning. We talked about the cyclists who was left for dead over on N. River Road last week. I mentioned I wanted to go over and check it out today for it's just off route.

We turned off the SLR onto Douglas, then a left on N. River Road to the end of the cul-de-sac. There was a white bike by the sidewalk for a memorial. We checked the scene: police had tagged evidence locations with green paint numbers. They were scattered along a 75 foot section including tire marks along the curb! Parts were still lying around and we spotted a amber turn bulb under a bush. What a mess.**

Rode over to College and picked up the SLR again. Mike led out on Hwy. 76 over to Bonsall for a control break. We stopped at McDonalds where it was busy. The boys got fries or fish and I opted for HF Sundae. I had to go back several time to remind them of my paltry order. Guess they should be making $13 to $15 per hour soon, that would help the service? NOT!

Cyclists accident scene on N. River Road.

I led out along Camino Del Rey at 16 mph. Mike pulled off at Old Hwy. 395 for a climb up Day Lilly Hill and down Lilac through Bonsall and back home. Nice long ride for him today. Dan & I pulled in behind a racer looking guy heading sourthward toward Escondido. We soon caught him on the first climb. He kept checking us and looked maxed out. He stopped at the Gopher Cyn. light and checked us over up close. A lean mean machine with yellow Pedros jersey riding a Kline and a old dude with a torn RUSA jersey riding a heavy steel bike! We slowly pulled ahead up the little climb and Dan opened it up past Lawrence Welk. This guy was gone now for sure. I mentioned to Dan to start his clock as we passed the Lawrence Welk Village driveway. 12 minutes is a good rando time to the light. Of course Dan ramped it up when he saw some scattered riders ahead. We were both in the big chain-ring and I was holding his wheel but couldn't get out of the saddle due to the tendon pain. 10.7 mph was the norm for the climb today. Dan was on it and I was limping in his draft! I stopped at the top for "medical and a red light". 11 minutes for a good climb today. I applied some "White Flower" to the outside tendon as Dan slo-rolled up the road. We made good time back to the Finish into a cool headwind. Dan got a Gatorade as I opted for the cheapo Reese Piece (yes, they restocked!). It was only 1230 for an early finish today! Dan was riding home, so we rode together over to Vineyard and up Woodward.

Too bad Keith didn't make this ride today. The guys were looking forward to it. Dan had nearly a 100 mile day and Mike rode good too with almost 90 miles. I limped around and ended up doing OK up Champagne. It was a 3 Tylenol day and lots of White Flower to keep moving. I soaked the ankle well in Epson Salts and did my normal muscle rub thing when I got home. Call it overuse or tendonitis, which ever suits your needs? Looked like a 3/5 day to me. 

* Keith later emailed that he "wasn't feeling up to the ride today for various reasons"

** Police traced the Kia car parts later in the week to a San Diego driver and questioned him. The cyclists lay there overnight before being spotted by a plant employee going to work at 0530 the next morning. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Overcast early, clear later
Hi: 78     Lo: 61
69 miles

-randorides

University Loop (How To Get SPF-50 Out Of Your Eyes!)

This stuff burns the eyes!

Wow, another great day for riding. Heck yes, I can do a route and hook-up for a chit-chat with the OFR along the coast. Sounds good.

I didn't get the SOMA prepped up and on the road till 0630. By the time I got over to the Ralph's start it was nearer 0645. So much for planning. It usually takes 2.5 hours to get over to Magee Park on the route course. I'll just take it easy and get there when I get there. I can keep rolling and meet up down in Encinitas at Swami's where they usually leave around 0930. Wore my arm warmers and found that they were only useful for a few downhills.. after that they had to come off as did the headlamp. Eyes started to water and burn almost from the start. I thought it must be the sunscreen. Stopped on Country Club Lane and wiped them off good, cleaned my glasses and kept going. Centre City was the next stop. Same thing. I used my carry along damp washcloth to wipe everything off real good again. Going down Champagne my eyes started to water and burn a bit. I stopped after the Camino del Rey turn and repeated the exercise. Finally I arrived at the Bonsall AM/PM. The intersection was loaded with traffic, most turning onto Old River Road. Iced the bottle and wiped down with water for the last time. Got a cheapo receipt and went west on Hwy. 76. Eyes were OK by now.

BMC's basic hardtail MTB. Reviews say 2/5 for $1500! Sorry.

It was 0750 by now and I thought it time for me to check out the new 76 surface to the coast. I cranked 'er up a bit and rolled westward with speeds up to 27mph. Went through downtown Oceanside, by-passing my planned stop to see Dan Phillips at Bussey's Automotive. Sparse traffic at best along the coast to Carlsbad so I made good time. Magee Park was empty as I continued southward without hooking up with anyone this trip. Got a sharp pain on the outside of my left achilles tendon for a bit before it went away. Added some Chinese White flower and spin class for the overuse! It was almost 0930 when I passed Swami's. The group had just pulled out and I could see them far ahead. Came upon 2 loaded tourers and chatted with them a bit. They were going to San Diego from LA. They stayed at the San Elijo Campground last night and looked it! Their helmets were strapped to the bags and replaced with caps. A raggy bunch for sure!

Caught the tail-end of the gruppo (14) and chatted with new guy John (the guy who several weeks back touched my rear wheel and went down hard in the middle of Torrey Pines Road) and old guy Dale. At Del Mar, the OFR gruppo took the "neighborhood" route as I went up straight through town, as usual. I dropped to the unusual 34T rings as I spun up Torrey Pines at a steady 10 mph. Pulled into the top parking lot and went over to the water fountain, which was working again! Rinsed things off and filled my bottle. Hit the newly cleaned head and waited for the gruppo to arrive. We chatted a bit before riding on. Several turned around and rode back down the hill, per schedule. I bid "adios" to the group as they turned off down to LaJolla. I kept on Gillman Dr and the Rose Canyon Bike Path. Took my usual route via Morena Blvd to Friars Road and on to SDSU campus. Stopped at the 7-Eleven instead of the packed McDonalds. Sat outside and ate the traditional "Smores" sandwich. Headed back into the usual headwind. In the drops and grinding along.

Surly "Ogre" steel framset for bikepacking. Options galore.

Along Coast Hwy again, I saw this John guy up ahead in his orange jersey. I didn't catch up, but instead stopped off at Nytro and refilled my bottle. Joe was there sitting at his desk, so we chatted a bit about dirt bikes. They're not a dealer for Salsa, but are for Surly. I had him check on a Ogre frameset with fork. Reasonably priced for me. Also prompted to check the BMC TE03 niner. It's BMC's basic 29" hardtail. It spec'd in with some good stuff and has the same geometry as their carbon hardtails, but retails for $1500! (Later, when I got home, I checked the on-line reviews for this model.. not good at 2/5. Seems the rear end is too harsh with the design and the big seatpost.) Out of my price range. Guess the Swiss think their bikes are "all that"! Joe will check into a "demo" version for me to try out for a week. Picked up a few goodies and hit the road after hanging around too long.

Extra weight on the handlebars made riding a little "lopsided". I plodded along with the left tendon spiking up now and then. Finally got over to San Marcos for the final receipt and the welcome ride home. Long day and the left ankle was feeling it! Overall, not that great of day. Got a late start and played "catch up" all morning. With the tendon thing, I'm due for some off the bike rest time. I still made it back OK. I'd call it a 2/5 day, just like the MTB review on Bike Radar!

This route on YouTube:
http://youtu.be/Djf9eohXGws

Overcast early, clear lateron
Hi:81     Lo: 64
125 miles

-randorides

Dog Attack On The Reservation!

Lilac Road enters the Pala Reservation

Hadn't planned any ride for my normal Tuesday jaunt, but woke up and decided to give er a go. Felt like a slo roll day to me. Maybe a little recon stuff with a shortie permanent thrown in. Rode the SOMA over to get a receipt from San Marcos at 0630. Heavy fog was just lifting and the temp was 61F. I had my helmet light and 2 rear blinkies on just in case. Got my usual 20 cent thing and hit the road northward. Borden Road becomes El Norte Parkway entering Escondido. Turned north on Broadway and took Jesmond Dene up the climb. Stopped off on a side road to stuff my mini pak in the seat bag, as something was banging around in there. Racer guy went by so I followed him. He was quick and I figured I could catch him on the climbs. I was gaining as we topped the last 11%'er and on to Centre City Pkwy. He turned around at Deer Springs as the sun was now blasting through. High today was supposed to be only 88F in the inland valleys. Pulled my arm warmers up as I topped 30 mph on the long Champagne downhill with a temp drop to 54F!

Which way now? I finally turned on Circle R and followed the San Marcos Century or Rainbow 1.24 Permanent route. Feeling good enough to tackle Couser climb in a bigger ring, I opted for a little "recon" work and rode straight by on Lilac Road. I hadn't been this way in years. The rando routes come down Lilac Rd not UP! Road turned upward as I stopped and adjusted something banging around in my front bag. Never did find out what is was this trip. Several 9% rollers kept things interesting and a nice run through some dense dark woods before the final 11% climb up past the "Pavement Ends 300' " sign. I'm familiar with the dirt road ahead from the other way and soon found that the pavement section was "wavy" before coming to the dirt stuff. A slow 14% downhill kept me upright and I slowed even more when I hit the dirt.

This is dog country. I don't think the Pala Reservation enforces leash or dog laws around here. Each time I've come up this road from the other side it's usually been in the late day and getting darker. There are always dogs running after you here! Same this trip down in to the valley floor. First it is just dogs barking. So I sort of sneaked-by on the washboard roads. Next up was a little white dog barking and running. Not to worry. A huge black dog was next and he charged out of the driveway and stopped at the road, standing and barking. He sort of followed me for a bit. Too old and too fat. Next up were the attack dogs!

2 "Blue Heelers" turned on each other instead of me!

A pair of mongrel Austrailian Cattle Dogs or "Blue Heeler" wanna-bees. These guys were fast and mean looking.They had the head's up on me as I was trying to negotiate the bumps. One circled around on my right and the killer on my left made a direct charge for me. He was about to jump when I yelled "STOP". He didn't stop, but looked at the other dog, ran around behind me and they attacked each other! Man they were going at it hard, bare teeth and fur flying. I ramped it up and watched them in the mirror Whew, close! Not to be outdone, a little dog behind a fence was yelping away as the beer-gut owner was trying to calm him down by shouting obscenities! The road had just been watered down and graded so was nice and smooth as I clicked into a bigger gear and got the hell out of there! Turned onto Hwy. 76 and stopped at the Pala Casino gas station for a refill break.That's a whole lot of climbing and action before 0900! What's next?

Went inside the station and checked things out. Put some powder from my "dry" bottle into my "active" bottle and iced it up. Looked around for something to purchase. Finally found some yogurt bar for cheap. Went outside and stretched a little before rolling out. Headed west on Hwy. 76 to Rice Canyon. Not much traffic for the narrow, if any, bike lane. Good! Before reaching I-15, I turned left for more recon on Pankey Road. I stopped to ask a guy in a motorized wheelchair for directions. He rolled right by without blinking! Pankey shortly cuts off onto Shearer which then becomes Dulin as it winds through a river bottom community. It comes out on Old Hwy. 395 just before the Day LIlly Hill climb. I spun up the hill in the 34T ring at a steady 8 mph. Turned at the top and went over to the Shawn Harrison cross-memorial alongside the road. My old rando card is still there, bleached out and all. Turned and crossed the road again to Lilac Road headed down towards Bonsall.

Met one rider coming up as I enjoyed the trip downhill. Saw a group of 20 California Conservation Corps clearing out the river bottom before the San Luis Rey Golf Course. They all looked great in their blue helmets and newly pressed brown uniforms. Parked in the shade by a tree alongside McDonalds, ordered out a HF Sundae and laced it up with some GU. Finished off my Cashew Butter WW crackers. Re-iced my bottles and headed west on Hwy. 76 into the normal westerly headwind.

Word has it that Rando Devin M. is building up a Ice Cream Truck!

Turned southward on College Ave by Wal-Mart. Several longish uphill climbs to train on as I headed to Oceanside Performance Bike to check things out. Been a while since I've been there. Rode through the store and straight to the workshop to chat with Mechanic Ed about a cheap dirt bike. Ed knows lots of people and how to spec out MTB's. He showed me what they had there from under $600 27.5 to "better" bikes around $800. I asked him to check out any buddies who wanted to unload their old MTB for cheap. He said most of his riding buddies have $2000 dollar rigs. Next up I chatted with Mgr. Jason Kilroy. He rode the Stagecoach 400 MTB Route a few years back and knows bikes too. He's into moto dirt bike stuff now and has tapered off his bike riding. Caught up on our rando friend Devin Mortenson of late. Guess he had a back injury at work and was off the bike for a month or so. He riding dirt now and is building up a "Fat Tire Bike". Enough said, I rode out and headed up the big climb southward.

Construction on Cannon Road, so I took the sidewalk. Stopped at the park bathroom before riding south on Coast Hwy. Stopped at Nytro to see Joe, but he was out/busy and running around. I sat outside and ate a banana and refilled my bottle. Some TT racer gal pulled in and wanted to put her bike in the stand. She was trying to move another bike to make room, when she dropped her $$ bike onto the curb where it bounced into the street. Nice. Headed south to Swami's and back onto Coast Hwy. Picked up a girl on a carbon racer after she passed me. I kept the heat up as she kept trying to pull away. I called that a good workout for her and a training ride for me!

I was feelin' good after 2 days off the bike and paced up to Rancho Santa Fe town. Saw one rider coming down Del Dios Hwy. past the dam. I cut off on Citracado Pkwy. and made a mental note to make a map with the route up Gamble Lane to send John when he does his evening ride this way next! Did the ol loop-e-doop and finally finished up in San Marcos.

Interesting day with the dog chase, lots of climbing and finally back on course. Maybe a 4/5 today? Looks like the OFR Thursday Gruppo will head south on Thursday, so I might plan a longer ride to SDSU to hook up.

Fog early, clearing mid-morning
Hi: 88     Lo: 55
100 miles

-randorides

Coffee At Peet's... recovery ride?

Recovery ride from what? Sounds good, so I'll use it. I had planned to do a shorter ride today (Saturday) or tomorrow, maybe with Keith Olsen. Things got moved around a bit and I decided to head out today at 0600. By the time I got things in order, the SOMA loaded up and the ride over it was 0620. I had one active bottle on-board and another with only dry powder in it (add water and ice later, if required). Got some new white socks made mostly of acrylic with some spandex and cotton mixed in. They were lower cut than I normally wear, so thus the white ring around the ankles. Packed the SPF-50 on that. 

Revolution Bike: Lite rust on new bikes displayed outside!

Headed north on Mulberry in spin mode to loosen up. Did my lazy stretches at home earlier, but I'm sure this wouldn't hurt either? Met one Rancho Club rider climbing Champagne. Must be riding to their Escondido start on Via Rancho Pkwy at 0800? Temps were really nice for just a jersey and shorts. Pulled into the Bonsall McDonalds to an overflow crowd at 0730. Can't imagine they get their nutritious breakfast there? No ice in the machines, so went next door to the trusty AM/PM for a 40 cent receipt and some crushed ice. Rode westward at a comfortable pace.

New road surface on Hwy. 76 from Melrose in. Too bad they missed the bike lane and left a ridge there instead! Light activity on the SLR as I paced along at my normal 17 mph with what seemed like a tailwind? No riding buddies this trip, but lots of riders around. The Velo gruppo was meeting at the College Ave Park for their weekly Saturday 0800 ride. Rode along Pacific Street among bike surfers hoping to catch the perfect one. Ocean looked choppy today.

NCCC riders regrouped at Swami's today.

Met up with this rider again on a blue 2-year old TREK. Rode with him before. He starts off Melrose in Vista, goes north to the SLR then does his 30 mile loop on Coast Hwy. and back east on Palomar Road. He usually complains about the joggers in the bike lane and the drivers near misses! Rolled down the coast as racer groups blasted by. Heck, I was cruising along at 19 mph too! Stopped at the Encinitas 7-Eleven for a ice refill and a Reese Piece. Getting ready to leave and noticed the NCCC riders coming by. Jumped on the SOMA and joined up for the ride to Swami's.

Chatted with Tony Long and the other NCCC riders, catching up on recent events. They were waiting for Rando Robert Abraham to ride in with the rest of the group. Dee Wells and a bunch of other OFR Thursday riders were there too. They all sort of hang out together. Robert never showed up yet, so I hit the remodeled head and rode south. I missed asking Robert about his HOT Palomar Mtn. Brevet last Saturday. (He later emailed me and said I missed a hot ride! He did fill me in on some details. We did miss the hot Palomar climb by leaving 2 hours earlier! I may be old, but still sharp?

NCCC Wild Animal Park Tony Long

Lots of riders now along the coast. I did stop in at Revolution Bike in Solana Beach to check out their Fargos and MTB/s. This is Keiths fav. place. They had a blue newer Fargo with solid front fork. The one next to it had a rusty cassette and chain! Nice! Guess they must leave them out all day long. Also checked out a few BMC MTB's they had. Tire had weather-checked cracks in them and rusty cassettes! Must have got caught in the rainstorm last week. Maybe you could get them for a "used bike price"? And to think OFR Bruce Tipton just bought his new Focus AG2r Team bike there with full Campy Record 11 spd! Bet that wasn't rusty.

Headed south and over on the SR-56 Bike Path. Lots of action there. Banana and Gatorade set up at Camino Del Sur. I think the Mobil Bike Repair sets that up each Saturday. Real handy and 3-kudoz to them! No riders to hook up with to Rancho Bernardo via the climbs. I chugged along with just enough effort to keep my thighs for burning. Made it around to the Inland RAil Trail for a few miles of headwinds back to the finish. Bought some CC Cookies for finish receipt to take home. Got home before noon to watch some college football, maybe?

Basic ride stuff today. Maybe a 2/5 for the spinning warm up and ride along the SLR. Thought about riding with Keith tomorrow, but decided to take a few days off riding till my normal Tuesday ride somewhere interesting?

cloudy skies all ride,
Hi: 78   Lo: 67
81 miles

-randorides

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

Fix My Bike Shortie

Fix My Bike PLEASE route. I did the reverse!

Time for a shortie rando route for delayed recovery! Woke up at 0300 and decided it was too early and finally dropped off again to wake up close to 0600. Did my usual Oatmeal/grated apple/Agave with banana and a cup of green tea. Rubbed up, stretched out, unloaded and was soon ready to go. Trying one bottle with 1xINFINIT with 2xCArbo-Pro. The other bottle I added 1x new G'ade Endurance and 1x INFINIT (still a little too sweet for me). Rechecked the SOMA 700 x 28mm tires for 90lbs/80lbs and I was out the door and riding over to the start. 7-Eleven was busy at this time of morning... mostly 2 glazed for a buck with a cup of joe to go.

Rolled northward at 0730 under clear skies and 78F! Temps didn't seem too hot as I rode along mostly shady roads. New surface on parts of Centre City/Old 395. Too bad they didn't touch the bike lane. The extreme temps of late have really pushed up the cracks. One section looked like a sub-San Andreas Fault link-up!. Nice and cool riding down Champagne. Road construction on Camino Del Rey. They were cutting roadside grass/bushes to lower fire danger, I guess. Stopped at Bonsall McDonalds for my morning Choc Sundae recharge and bottle refill with ice. Place was busy for a change and the IC machine worked this trip!

Warming up fast as I rode westward on Hwy. 76. No mile long line of cars as it is earlier in the morning. Almost a tailwind to aid my riding on the SLR. Passed several riders who didn't say much. I didn't feel too bad at a steady 17mph. into a increasing headwind from the coast. Stopped at 7-Eleven in Carlsbad on Oak St. Garmin in the shade was showing 90F when I left. Filled my bottles there with ice. Nice calm ride down the coast with a slight tailwind. Stopped at Nytro to refill my bottles... which didn't need much. Got a chance to chat with Joe and discuss my need for a dirt bike to do long rando dirt rides. He was checking on some BMC cyclocross bikes when the BMC rep came in! Speaking of which I could get a demo if I needed one. I'll get back to them later on that. Chatting with Joe later, I still needed wider tires than 42mm for soft stuff and climbing traction. I'll check the BMC site for MTB's and stuff. I know they have lots of hi-end carbon frames on most of their dirt bikes.

BMC AC02 Road/Mtn. Bike. Will wide tires fit for dirt?

Left at 1130 and cruised south with a stop at Swami's. Bathroom has a new roof, was sandblasted and also has new inside facilities! The outside water fountain has some water pressure now so you can at least catch a drink of the warm water. Nice improvement to a popular place. Lots of riders along the cooler coast today. Once I turned toward the hills of Rancho Santa Fe town, didn't see anymore riders till I spotted one on Del Dios Hwy. Cut off en-route on Citracado Pkwy and took Harmony Grove over to Country Club Lane. Wind was howling in Escondido as the Garmin noted 111F in the sun. Hot wind. As soon as I turned westward, the wind felt a lot cooler approaching San Marcos. At the 7-Eleven I filled up one bottle with the new MTN. DEW punch. It was all carbonation! Poured it out and put in plain water for the ride home.

50-50 day on the bike. Felt much better riding yesterday on the shortie route. I need to get things in order for a dirt bike deal soon. Looks like I'm dumping the road stuff after the end of the year.. maybe? Thought about building up different frames... Salsa Fargo or Surly Ogre OR maybe get another super deal from Joe on a MTB bike. It probably won't be exactly what I need, but at least I'll be on the dirt with a wide-tired bike again. Be nice to have the guys out riding dirt. Joe and Dan Phillips need to join in next trip? Good luck!

Video of this route:
http://youtu.be/v9knzq5KSn4

Clear skies early with thunderheads developing later!
Hi: 100's     Lo: 71
71 miles

-randorides

Recovery Ride For Fuel

Trial Gatorade "Endurance" Mix

Needed a recovery ride after the heat-fest up Palomar Mtn. on Saturday. How about a ride over to Nytro in Encinitas for a chat with Joe and some fuel load? Thats sounds good to me! Mounted the SOMA with a couple of bottles and hit the road after 0830. Wore the loose fitting NCCC old blue and yellow jersey over a pair of large old cycling shorts. Cruised along South Santa Fe Road and stopped at Wal-Mart in Carlsbad by REI. I went looking for yarn for Zaharah. Of course after the dept. mgr and another "expert" searched and they didn't have the same color. After REI opened at 1000, I picked up a bottle of Boeshield for chain lube. That still works very good on a clean chain. Only downside is you need to wait several hours for it to dry out before wiping down.

Good Ol' Carbo-Pro

After checking out the Charge fat-tire bike at REI, I headed over to Encinitas and chatted with Joe at Nytro. Got a few goodies including my monthly supply of Carbo-Pro and a trial Gatorade Endurance powder(supposed to have 2x the salt in there). Rolled home under intense heat and a heavy bag on my back. Sweat-OH-Rama.

Clear skies on a HOT day,
32 miles

-randorides

Palomar Mtn. Sampler... How to beat the HEAT!

 Palomar Mtn. Sampler HEAT RIDE!

SD Rando Brevet "Palomar 200" starts at 0700. We started at 0500 from San Marcos for this one. Temps in the 100's for the inland valleys today. Sam Thomas from Albany, NY, Mike Shaw, Bill Stevenson & Dan Phillips all from Oceanside, Mac Imacseng from Solana Beach with the ride-in. John Mestemacher said he would start from his house in Carlsbad between 0300-0400 and might meet us en-route. He gave me his timetable for Palomar Mtn. and Santa Ysabel. (Later learned John left at 0300 and was just 15 minutes ahead of us on Palomar!)

Left 7-Eleven early and rode over to Albertson's where Bill and Dan were parked. They were late as Bill left his bottles at home. Mac called Bill on his cell wondering where he should wait for us. I chatted with Mac and said: "Wait at the Nordhal Rd. station parking lot. We'll be by in a bit". Dan was lathering up as Mike rode around the parking lot to get warmed up. They finally were ready as we started the route from Albertson's promptly at 0500.  Beautiful starry morning under perfect temps as we hustled over to find Mac waiting near the station entering Escondido. He rode in from Solana Beach via Del Dios Hwy. and didn't quite make it to the start without missing us.

Road closed sign blocked Lake Wohlford Road

We cruised along at a good pace, chatting on Mission Road through Escondido. I had my headlamp only and it worked real good for "flashing" the intersection lights. We decided to turn onto Lake Wohlford Road due to no traffic at this early hour. But turning there was a full barrier: DETOUR, ROAD CLOSED! No thru traffic! I kept going straight up Valley Center Road per the route as the boys were pondering their position. Normally we would have gone around the detour sign, but passed this trip just in case. Mac said he was going to stick with the group this trip as he had learned his lesson from last trip. Of course, he took off ahead up the climb! The rest of us just ground up in the dark. Sam was the sweeper for sure. Enjoyable pace-line along Woods Valley Road with only a few cars around. Several dogs went wild as we "flashed" them too! Fun time! Smelled the chicken shit long before we turned onto Lake Wohlford Road and were soon flying past the Valley View Casino as the sun was lighting up the early sky.

Look back shot of So. Grade Road

Down Rincon Grade is getting rougher every trip! Take the full lane just to miss the holes. It was just light enough so we could see what was ahead of us. Temp was really up in the Pauma Valley. Hi 70's now. I suggested taking an extra throwaway bottle for the climbing ahead, as nothing would be open on top of Palomar yet. (Depending on how fast we climbed). Most riders got a banana and iced up their bottles. Good idea! After 10 minutes, we rolled out onto the horrible bike lane toward Hwy. 76. With the recent hot temps, the road had expanded and the bumps were higher than ever. I rode over in the smoother (somewhat) road. Sam stopped on the climb to adjust something on his Specialized. We turned the corner and started the first part of the Palomar climb.

Mike, Dan and I led the way up. Bill and Mac rode just behind. Sam was out of sight already. Some light racer guy went around us with ease. We had a nice easy pace on the way up in the shade. I like that first part of the climb, as my gearing seems to fit the pace well. Dan & I chatted on the way up. It's a normal 40 minute peaceful climb.

This is it. Sams shot of the Palomar junction!

At the So. Grade turn, I stopped and strapped my helmet to the front bag. Mike Shaw paced up a little quicker than us and was soon out of sight. A few motos were blasting away, even this early. Bill and Mac were behind us. No Sam at all. We were in the shade most of the way up to the top. Bill was feeling it and rode by us. Mac tried to follow. Dan was keeping his heat down and I paced up slowly with him. Mac was barley ahead of us and was zig-zagging all over the road. At the top, I told Dan I was turning on East Grade and stopping at the Firefighter Memorial. Dan joined the boys at Mothers Kitchen, which hadn't opened up yet at 0850.

After paying my respects at the Memorial, I hung around a while before deciding to blast down the hill to Lake Henshaw. Saw the same racer guy pedaling up East Grade. Guess he was doing hill repeats? Met another rider near the bottom. Thank goodness, road crews had patched several of the bad sections on the corners. Temps were in the high 80's now as I rolled into the Lake Henshaw Store, looking for Sam. We had talked earlier that he could waive the So. Grade climb and go straight to Henshaw per the "Lake Henshaw Century" route. Not to be. About 10 minutes later the boys rolled in with Bill leading the way.

Mike said he had a big cramp in his thigh. Mac stated his legs were "done". Dan was breaking out in a heat rash. Bill got some water from the store as Mike was using a cold soda bottle to massage his thigh. I rubbed on some "Chinese White Flower Medicine". 15 minutes we were on the road again.

I stopped at the Paecho Firefighter Memorial on E. Grade Rd.

With the heat rising and us feeling it, I opted for a straight run to Highway 79. I figured Mesa Grande would have to wait for another day in this heat. With several riders feeling it already, we didn't need any more dangers. The group slowly climbed up the 6% grade past the close Santa Ysabel Casino. Mac blasted off into the downhill headwind as we approached Santa Ysabel. I kept with him, as the others choose more wisely! We pulled into Don's Market at 1045 and sat in the shade.

Most of the guys got some sandwiches to munch. I opted for a banana and ice cream sandwich, which promptly melted before I could get much GU on it. No wind in the corner as the temps rose. Some racer guy pulled in on a Cervelo racing bike... deep dish wheels and areo-bars. When he came out of Don's, he had 2 quarts of Gatorade and 2 liter bottles of water. Said he was riding up Mesa Grande and then downhill to Pauma Valley. We were on the road to Ramona in 25 minutes and I was the lead out. Temp was 97 degrees now.

Slight headwind made it feel cooler as we made the first little climb before lots of downhills ahead. After the turn onto Old Julian Highway, Dan said he needed to steady the pace because he didn't want to be sick tomorrow at his wife's party. I rode with him back from the main group of Mike, Mac and Bill just ahead. Up the road another rider joined in with the gruppo and did well to stay with them. He dropped at each hill. Finally Dan and I passed him. Something didn't look right and I backed off and rode with him. A older guy in his sixties with head down wasn't good. He zagged off and nearly took out a pole. Said he hit a rock! I stayed with him as he struggled up the road. I offered some electrolytes and B-6. Said he was from Ramona doing a short loop. Left him as I turned onto 2nd street. Got a Citrus Vitamin Water at 7-Eleven before meeting the group at JIB for some shade and ice. Temps in the 100's now. Dan rubbed some lotion on his leg rash. Stayed around 15 minutes and bloated up on water.

Bill led the back-way out and over to the Albertson's red light intersection. Normal busy traffic as we picked our way out of Ramona westward. Seemed to be a tail wind of sorts after the turn on Highland Valley Road. Nice pace line till we hit the headwinds before Archie Moore Rd. Dan was backing off. I rode with him through the HV rollers. We regrouped before the twisty downhill. Nice pace-line along the river bottom to Lake Hodges Bridge. We stopped and said "adios" to Dan. He had enough today and was taking the train back to Oceanside and prep up for Lisa's party tomorrow. A whole lot cooler now as you could feel the onshore breeze way out here. I played games with Mac on the climb up Bernardo Ctr. Dr. We made a optional cool down stop at the AM/PM at the top. Welcome relief indeed. Still some climbing left on this one!

Sam's selfie Palomar shot

Vitamin Water for my refill as Bill packed in the Powerade. We sat outside on the stacked gallon water bottles and reviewed the route ahead. 15 minutes later, we're climbing up RB Road. Mikes climbing legs left him by now with the cramping earlier at Palomar. We made better time to San Dieguito Road with the cooler headwinds now. Mac turned off toward home after Apajo. Good job by him today with the ride in. Just Bill, Mike and me now. No stop for us at the Stump's Market Control today. The downhill on La Granada along the golf course was really cool, but the climb after wasn't that great.

Bummer through Questhaven with all the stop-signs. Bill and were climbing good now and using a roll-back pace to gather in Mike who was gutting it out, off stride. So. Rancho Santa Fe was the last of the longer climbs before we turned into Lake Discovery residential area. Straight on Craven through the CSUSM Campus where there was a soccer game going on. School must start up next week because this place was empty! A quick turn onto Woodland Parkway to finish up at Bill's truck near Albertson's. What a long day on the road. We said thanks to Bill and rode back to the 7-Eleven to Mike's car. Sam's rental car was gone, so looks like he got SAG relief today. Iced up my bottles and hit the road home, dirty and stinky! Good job by all today, just getting through in the heat was victory in itself. Not so with the Brevet riders today.

Felt good throughout and will give my efforts a 4/5. Felt much better the longer the day went. Didn't do that great on the So. Grade climb. Maybe the off pace? After the long week with the rando rides for Sam in the heat, I fared well today. Might have something to do with recovery and my using the INFINITE fuel on the rides(even though I was short again today).

Clear skies all day
Hi:  100's     Lo: 67
120 miles+

more later,
-randorides

Coronado Express Permanent

Warmish coastal Coronado Express Rando Route today.

Bill Williamson to join Sam and I for the jaunt southward from Oceanside. We'll hook up with the OFR Gruppo at Magee Park in Carlsbad and a further pickup in Encinitas at Swami's before riding south to the Coronado Ferry. Sounds like a plan to me!

Now what really happened:
Wiped down the Fuji carbon chain, added a drop of WD-40 Dry Lube to each link and it's good to go. Got the 0614 Sprinter Train to Oceanside. Small chit-chat with cyclists on the train. Taking a later train meant getting your bike stacked up like cordwood for the trip over. Arrived early and cruised around Oceanside over to Circle K for a early start receipt. Hit the bathroom and made my way over to the Pier. Bill was there, pecking away on his cellphone. With 1 minute to go, Sam showed up! He rode the bike path over from College Ave, where he is staying with his buddy Daryl and family. Sam wanted to get in some extra miles for his "500 mile goal". We were off at 0730, on schedule.

Stopped by Magee Park, where Bill took a belated BR break. No other riders showed, so we're off before the scheduled 0800 leave time. Chit-chat down the coast and a stop at Poinsettia Lane, where we picked up several more OFR riders. They were waiting for Bruce Tipton, so I rode solo at a comfortable pace southward while Sam stayed back at the group telling his stories. I decided to stop at the Encinitas 7-Eleven for a break and to ice up the bottles for the coastal warm day in the saddle. I sat outside and didn't see the riders come past. I headed over to Swami's for the meet-up. No one there! Guess they already left, well before 0845? I hit the refurbished bathroom and cruised south. Not to worry.

OFR'ers: Tom, Sam and pirate Jim on the Coronado Ferry today.

Finally caught sight of the OFR gruppo near Del Mar. They turned off for the neighborhood route, while I continuedstraight through town. Did the big ring/21T up the Torrey climb for the regroup at the top. All sweaty and nice, we all finally got together. Several riders turned around there. Nice group of 12 continued on to the 1100 ferry. Most of the group stopped at a Mission Bay bathroom, while Jim and I rode slowly on. Nice tailwind to help us as I cut over on Hawthorn St. and along the strand to get to the ticket booth. We arrive at 1045, got the tickets and boarded the Coronado Ferry. No sign of the others yet! They must have really hammered hard to get there just as the ferry was leaving.

Down below it was hot and reeked of diesel fuel. We went up top for some cooler air. Ate my banana and cashew butter crackers while enjoying the view. The group was discussing where to eat lunch on Coronado. Nice relaxing cruise over. De-boarding the ferry, we hit the bathrooms and said "adios" to the others. Jim, Bill, Sam and myself were heading over to JIB in National City for our Control stop.

Jim & I set a faster pace around the Bayside Bikeway. Bill rode with Sam and took a few pics along the route. We regrouped in the shade on the Frontage Road. Sam was already cooked and now to get him back to Oceanside. Finally arrived at the JIB, where the guys loaded up on burger and fries, while I had my first choc shake in months! No coupon either, but the "senior discount" made it 30 cents cheaper! After 30 minutes, Sam was almost ready. We proceeded the back way on Roosevelt St. over through Barrio Logan. Nice and not so nice headwind. We plodded along, with Sam always trying to stick with our slow group. We decided to ride through the UCSD Campus this trip. Empty. Guess classes start next week? Pulled Sam up to Del Mar, where he was looking dead tired. So much for his "500 miles in a week" thing. "It's not about the miles, but more on the quality of the miles, Sam"! He was done.

San Diego skyline from the Coronado Ferry today.

Jim pulled off in Solana Beach, where he was stopping for a brew-ski on his way home. We made an extra stop at the 7-Eleven on Vulcan & Leucadia Blvd. I shared a Vitamin Water deal with Bill. Sam was loading up on water, cola and anything else that would help. His Zipp-Fizz stuff sure didn't work this trip. We finally left for the final section northward. Bill said he was riding ahead to the bathroom. Soon, this hot-dog racer went by with bare back and a backpak. I took off after him, for sure. He had a sour attitude so I dropped him on the shortie Palomar Road climb. Bill and I regrouped at the bathroom while waiting for Sam. All back together again, we plodded back to the Oceanside Pier. Sam said his good-byes as he took the SLR east. Bill went with me over to Circle K, before riding to Dan Phillips shop for a buddy ride home with Dan. I rode back through town, where I spotted the bare back racer at a local pub! Caught the next Sprinter back to San Marcos. A very long day, indeed!

Felt OK all day in the coastal heat, especially toward the finish. Had a good training ride with periods of speed and quality climbing up Torrey. Nice fast pace around the SD Bay at times. 4/5. Sam was tired all day and dragging his butt after a recovery day on Wednesday. He'll be dead meat on the Palomar Mtn. Sampler on Saturday, even after a day off. Maybe me too?

Clear skies all day
Hi: 96     Lo: 71
102 miles

-randorides

Ursa Minor Revisited

Garmin stats from today's training ride.

Left at 0600 for a ride with Sam Thomas from Albany, NY. Mike Shaw from Hewlett Packard. The second of
Sam's training rides for the week he will be out west. Mike is getting a feeling for what his upcoming retirement will be like riding mid-week!

Rolled out in the dark on my Fuji with only 1 rear blinkie and a headlamp. Plenty good enough for clear skies will bring an early sunrise. Also had my INFINIT with equal part of Carbo-Pro in my bottles and two extra 2-scoop bags along for later. Sam was already complaining about the added climbing past the hospital and on 11th Street. Nice riding along Lake Hodges, with not the usual super heavy traffic. Mike set most of the pace through these areas. After Rancho Santa Fe, I jumped to the front, eager for Red Velvet donuts at the next stop; Solana Donuts. Mike bought me a donut, as Sam was off readjusting his seat height again.

After a bit, we hit the road northward at a more leisurely pace . A few small "hill" races with local riders soon brought us up to Magee Park. Dee's group was riding south today and Ben Hassel and Eric Rix were both soon chatting with Sam at the bathroom. Hopefully they will get together on Thursday's ride. Cruised over on Harbor Dr. and soon launched on I-5 northward. Mike set a fast pace as Sam & I just followed along. I pulled from the Rest Area to Las Pulgas, where some riders were mingling around. I saw my old heavy singlet buddy on his MTB and stopped to chat with him. He rides almost every day and lost lots of weight from 284# down to 218# and still going. Good for him. I hooked up with a group of older riders and sneaked past Mike and Sam riding through the construction area. No stop at San Onofre Campground this trip and Trestles was having a big 10-day women's surfing championship, but we did make a stop at Carls' in San Clemente for water. Sam wanted to get a burger and fries. Mike and I vetoed that! Next stop, Sam.

Mike Shaw and Kellyjay near Sampson's Gazebo overlook

Lite traffic riding through San Clemente at this hour and the bikeway/Doheny State Park was near empty too.
San Juan Bike Path still has construction detour near the bridge, so we went off route a bit to challenge Sam to the steep climb up Cove Road. He made it without getting off to push! We settled in at the Gazebo Dana Point Harbor Overlook where Sam took a few snaps for his legacy album. Next up was Carl's Jr. where the boys got a burger and coke. I had an IC Sandwich which I laced with GU. Sam was hanging around chatting with the locals about his big ride today. We were there a long time, before sneaking out on the SJ Bike Path to Doheny Park.

Nice climb up through San Clemente and soon back on trak through the Trestles detour around the parking lot, which was full of wanna-be champions. Mike set a nice pace through the campground and it's a nice downhill to Las Pulgas Gate. Sam's license is still from MASS and I was giving him a hard time at the guard shack. Nice training pace through the camp and we stopped at the Harbor Dr. bathroom, where Sam had to make a deposit. I was starting to get stiff and had to do a little stretching out while waiting.

Sam Thomas with Cove Road behind.

Mike couldn't wait for the SLR and led out at a nice 17mph. Later on Mike said his Garmin battery was low and had to detour home for another one (or booster?). Sam and I rode the Hwy. 76 with a nice 12mph tailwind. We were flying along and ended up at Bonsall McDonalds again. Mike pulled in as we arrived. Mike and I had Choc Sundaes for $1.08 and Sam opted for a canned Coke with full caffeine charge from AM/PM. We sat around a bit, as I filled my bottles with ice and water for the last hot climbing for today.

We waited for Sam and he did a head-stop before we finally left Bonsall. As predicted, it is good riding with the tailwind along Camino del Rey. Temps picked up a bit as we headed south on Old Hwy. 395. Sam dropped off as the climbing started. A wannabe racer pulled in ahead of Mike and I at Gopher Cyn. Park & Ride. He was off to the races ahead. Mike and I saw him stopped ahead near Lawrence Welk Resort. I told Mike he was "waiting on us". He jumped in just behind us for the Champagne Climb. From Lawrence Welk Village Road to the top is often timed. I noted to Mike that "12 minutes" is a good time to the red light at Deer Springs Road. I paced up as the racer guy held firm on my wheel. Soon he was sucking wind and dropped off. I was still doing my "big ring ride" stuff and kept grinding up the hill. I stopped at the Flower Stand in the shade and checked the Garmin. 11:35. OK for this trip. "Racer guy" and Mike came in and we chatted. Seems this guy was doing training up the hill. He lives up Circle R and drove down to Gopher Canyon start! Cross trainer at a Escondido Gym. Sam rolled in. Gave him a Rando Card and said join-up next ride. He had a good attitude and asked a few questions. Good rando guy for the future.

We left for the new patchy Centre City downhill. Even Nutmeg had some new patches of road. Turned into a cooling headwind on Borden Road over to the finish. A good training ride for me... doing some low hill work and hydration tricks. Felt good at the finish, but still a long week in the saddle for me and Sam. My usual ice up, recovery drink and shower at home.
Long permanent on Thursday with Sam and Palomar on Saturday. Looks like a fun week!

Clear skies all day
Hi:  102     Lo: 71 (Garmin)
126 miles

-randorides

San Marcos Century (Sam Thomas returns from Albany)

Garmin tracked the route today: San Marcos Century

Sam returns to SoCal for a week from the humid and warm Albany, NY. Sam has been training with a Albany bike club all spring/summer and looked the part losing 15 lbs!. I had scheduled several rando rides for Sam this week per his request. He goal was 500 miles and that shouldn't be a problem depending on his motor! I'd plug it into my normal Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday ride schedule. That might work?

Nice group already chatting as I rolled up on the Fuji. I had switched over to a newer set of G'skin Hardshells 28mm for this ride. Needed to minimize the chances of a flat today. My normal HB bag was filled up with several bars, gels, cashew butter crackers, air/cartridge pump and my other normal help-drugs, energy enhancers and bail out cremes! I was trying the Joe recommended INFINIT powder in my bottles laced with an equal amount of CARBO_PRO. (INFINIT was way too salty tasting at the normal mix) No electrolytes tabs in the bottles, it was in the INFINIT.
John Mestemacher had ridden the route in from Solana Beach. Mac Imacseng, Lisa Nicholson, Mike Shaw, Sandy Aniya, Sam Thomas, Keith Olsen, Dan Phillips and Steve Schechter made up the group of 10 riders today. For 3 days notice, a few emails and only the sdrando blog posting, I figured that was really a good turnout. We milled around a bit waiting for Steve to unload his car and get ready. Of course Sam was already telling his riding/workout stories even before we started. Gal from the restaurant came out and was chatting about parking around there. Seems Saturday was the really big day at the restaurant. Not so, as I live close by and check out this lot all the time. We rolled out 5 minutes from our official start time of 0700.

Sam Thomas came out from Albany, NY for this!

Group deviated from the cue sheet and took Ivy Glen over to Jesmone Dene. It's always been a nice climb in lieu of the rougher and busier Centre City Pkwy. Mike Shaw was feeling it early as several riders caught the Old Castle Road red light. Most all regrouped on the Circle R climb. Sandy and Keith were the sweepers. Mike and Mac were out front. I was riding with Lisa, Dan and Steve through Lilac and toward Couser. Couser Cyn. Road has a new surface and the downhill is much safer now for cyclists. Grouped up with Mac & Mike up Rice Canyon climb. Mike was lead out and Mac was complaining about his pace. Dan, Lisa and Sam were just behind. Soon we saw the log house and the climbing was over. Rainbow Oaks Market had a big monthly Art & Crafts Sale outside and it was packed around there. We all sat at the table and watered up. Seems that the pak of 3 cookies was a hot seller. John said Sam was on a cell call on Rice Canyon and didn't sound too happy. Sam never showed up at the Market. (Later said he went straight through Rainbow and turned left onto Old Hwy. 395. Met the group as they were leaving the Rainbow Market!) As the group was leaving, Steve rolled in. He said he turned right on Hwy. 76 instead of left. (Good job. He was heading toward Palomar Mtn.!) I waited for Steve to fill his bottles and eat a cookie. Sandy and Keith hadn't shown up yet*.

We could see the group of Mac, Mike, Lisa, John, Dan and Sam far ahead on our route toward Fallbrook. I thought we might see them again at the Carlsbad Control. Steve has a new 2014 TREK Domane with Di2 shifters. He really likes his new bike for long comfort. I found the shifting was really noisy!  After a Bonsall red light, Steve was putting his bottle back in and hit the curb and went down. His hip was sore for sure. We went back to AM/PM and put a ice bag under his shorts. That should keep the swelling down real quick. He refused any Tylenol or Advil for the pain and suffering! I did the lead out all the way to the coast. Once there it was heavy Amtrak Century riders. Hundreds of riders on the road. The rando group was still at the 7-Eleven Control when we got there. John had ridden ahead and back home do to time constraints. Chatted up a bit as Steve refilled his ice bag. Mac and Mike took off ahead as the rest of us mingled with the Amtrak riders and stopped at each red light. Some fast riding along the coast with a tailwind. We all met up again at the Loma Santa Fe Mobil Control.

Mac had french fries in hand as we parked in the shade. Ice cream was a hot item here. There was a great cool breeze blowing through as we refilled our bottles. Had to pry Sam out of the chair, but we were finally climbing again toward Rancho Santa Fe. Mac was blazing off the front as Mike set the pace for the others. A smallish regroup before the Del Dios climb past the Dam. Mac rode out ahead as I rode with Dan over to the Escondido Control. Temps were in the mid 90's as the tailwind didn't cool things off much. I went to Albertson's for water and the bathroom. then back to Wendy's. No Mac. Mike spotted Sam at the far red light. I jumped on my bike and rode over to alert him of the Control he missed. Back together again, we sat around in air-con comfort. Outside, Lisa gave a few tips on sea-salt and hydration. We were soon off on-route again.

New Amtrak Century jerseys were all over the coast today!

Mike pulled a bit on his TREK Domane through Harmony Grove burn area. We split up on the climb to San Elijo, as I had the gears-in-sync and all figured out for this one. On the one way street, some SUV kept on his horn behind me. I had the lane and was turning left into the Chevron Control. I waved him over and gave some hand gestures. He was still on his horn as he went around! Some drivers just don't get it and never will. Long wait regroup at Chevron in the shade. 2 racer guys were sitting in the shade at the tables saying how great their bikes were. If I had those rigs, I would already be done! No Mac. No Sam now. Lisa said Sam was right behind her on the climb. We finally left, but spotted Sam across the field. I said "carry on" and U-turned to the sidewalk back to Chevron (One-way street). Dan followed and we met Sam there. Of course he had to refill and drink something. Sam was "cooked". His fast Mohawk-Hudson River Bike Path training wasn't paying off much now. Our group of 3 left for the last climb of the day. After several regroups, we started the long fast downhill to San Marcos. Only could get 47 mph this trip, due to the headwind. Sam dropped off the map on this one. By CSUSM campus, Sam said he was loosing air and the tire was a little "squirrely" on the downhill. WHEW! We finally got back to the 7-Eleven finish. Nice job?

Mac was there. Sandy too. No Keith. Sandy said he got to Escondido and took the straight road back. He said later that Keith bailed at Rainbow. Don't know how he got back to his car. This was a hot, tough route. Anyone who got through it was a real die-hard rando, for sure!

I felt good all day, especially on the climbs. Didn't bring enough of the new INFINIT for that final refill. That stuff seemed to work really good with the high temps today. A little "salty" tinge to the mix. No cola, no caffeine today, just a few bars, water and powder. Did my usual recovery mix with Soy Milk, Cliff Recovery Mix, Carbo-Pro and Instant Breakfast when I got home. Did the ice, shower and food thing too.

Video of the route:
http://youtu.be/_QFGdl8iCeM

Thanks to all who showed up and rode. That's what it's all about.
Sam & I will be riding 2 more Permanents this week and then the Palomar ride on Saturday. Hopefully?

Clear skies all day.
Hi: 100     Lo: 66
104 miles

* Keith later email and said he wasn't quite up to par today. He stopped at the Rainbow Oaks Market, sat in the shade and waited for his wife for pickup .

-randorides