Windy Champagne For Veterans Day

Champagne Double Route

Annual Vets Day ride was the newish Champagne Double. A short route from San Marcos, up the Hwy. 395 hill to Circle K in Fallbrook (actually Hwy. 395 @ Hwy. 76), over to Oceanside and back via Bike Path to Bonsall and up Champagne climb to San Marcos.

Had a small flag.. didn't like that fit, so I dug out some road trash flag I picked up years ago. The kind you clip on your side window. Cut off the "clip" and rolled out early on a windy Monday morning. That didn't last long as I soon returned home and cut off the more of the clip as it was rubbing the back of my thigh on the down-stroke.

Riding over to the start at Mulberry Drive 7-Eleven, more rubbing on the leg. After getting a receipt, I found a piece of concrete and "filed down" the sharp edge of the flag mast. Away I went into a 20mph headwind from the east. Not to be deterred, the winds eased as I rode northward on Old Hwy. 395. Up the Daylilly climb and down the empty road to the Circle K control. Outside bathrooms were a plugged up stinky mess.

Vet Day set-up on Diverge Gravel bike

Ahhhh, tailwind as I cruised westward on Hwy. 76. Not as much as I hoped for, but much better than a headwind. The flag was strapped securely to my seat bag and kept flapping up around itself. Give me something to do as I peddled along. Short stop at Bonsall Donut and McD's for ice. and I was off again to the Mance Buchanan Park near the Bike Path. Not much going on there. After some neck PT, it was cruise control and hi-speed riding to the coast.

Return trip wasn't so easy, as the wind had subsided somewhat, but still the eastbound bike lane was void of riders today... except me, of course. After a short re-ice in Bonsall, I was off to the headwinds along Camino del Rey. Same with the Champagne climb. Winds and all, I was soon back to the 7-Eleven finish with a final tailwind back home. Nice ride today, with minimal traffic and not a lot of riders out either. Go Figure.

Champagne Double Video

- randorides