The Fuzziest's SLO to Glendale Ride.

Hey Chris... finally sending you the report.

The next bike trip of the summer got me from San Luis Obispo to
Glendale in two days.

The Amtrak Surfliner dropped me off at San Luis Obispo around 1pm which
gave me about 7 hours to get to Santa Barbara before getting dark.
Riding solo meant that I had to pace myself and feed on the fly. The
118 mile leg was harder than expected. Harris' Grade was an average of
9% for a good 30 minutes, even though it was tough it cut out a chunk
of PCH 1 riding through Vandenburg Air Force Base.

Quick stop in Lompoc to fill up on water and Amino Vital Lemon
Endurance (nector of the Gods) and was back on the road. The stretch
from Lompoc to Highway 101 was tough. Up and down the inland coast
hills. Another quick stop at the Rest Area on the 101 where I met a
nice couple riding down from Monterrey. Continued on the 101 along the
various beaches; Gaviota, Refugio, and Capitan state parks. Once in
Goleta, knew the end is coming up. Got to Santa Barbara in 7hours
10minutes with the sun disappearing over the horizon. After asking for
lodging at various cheap hotels, all were booked, settled in at a
pricey resort right on the beach. Its all good when you have dinner,
breakfast, and nice jacuzzi in your room (I'd rather camp tho).

The next morning I felt pretty good even though the pace was high the
day before. Enjoyed it more because I had the whole day to make my way
down south. Stopped in Carpinteria where I chatted with the owner of
Rincon Cycle again, nice guy. Ate some gourmet chocolate from Chocolat
du Cali Bressan. Big Al had told me about this place and I was not
disappointed, again price was high but great handmade quality
chocolates. Even bought a box for my brother and his wife. Stopped at
the Ventura Pier to have some good ol' fashioned fish tacos. Chatted
with a guy who had divorced his wife, kids are all in college, and sold
his house to buy a Sprinter Van. Now he lives up and down the coast
where he surfs and bikes his Specialized Roubaix on a daily basis. Next
thing I knew I was riding through the busy streets of the San Fernando
Valley back to the house. This part of the leg was 124 miles long and
took 9 hours 20 minutes.,

Total mileage : 242 miles

Total time : 16 hours 30 minutes

Things I have learned on this trip :




1) Eat healthy and keep drinking fluids. Best for me is a timer. So I
wont forget I sipped on my bottles every 10 minutes. Sigma Rox 9.0 has
a sweet timer setting to keep me on schedule.

2) Surprised at the amount of people asking me what kind of powder I
was pouring into my bottles. So many have not heard of Amino Vital and
were willing to try it. Trust me, they will be amazed how well it works.

3) Riding with a 15 pound backpack is not a good idea. Shoulders start
hurting and puts alot of pressure on your tail bone. Panniers are the
way to go for next time.

4) Its great to get out on the open road and ride. The sights, smells,
feelings, and the rhythmic pedaling is a great feeling. Best way to
travel.

5) Roadies are rude, I'm just generalizing. So many times I said hello
and just got a stare back. I hope your 9,000 dollar Cervelo cracks in
half. Riders on bike tours are really nice.

Again, thanks to all the sponsors who support us on our adventures.
Whether it is racing or doing major riding, the products are great and
gets us to where we want to go.

Take a trip,

Fuzz