Coast the Coast

Day 28 - 65 miles (Lompoc to Carpinteria)

The poor/lazy biker's dinner: 
1 pint of milk
1 can of black beans
1 banana

$5 for a delicious and nutritious meal!

I had a late start to the day again. As such, I've decided that 10:30am is now my official start time. After packing everything up, I spent some time talking to my fellow bike crew and a new biker named Matty; an eccentric guy from the Bronx who is biking up and down the California coast on an electric bike. Nice guy.

Matty

The first half of the day was long, monotonous and deceptively challenging. I was excited by the fact that I would soon be finishing the last major hill of the trip, but that excitement soon turned into frustration...I had to bike along Highways 1 and 101 up a slight incline for 18 miles. It was bustling, loud, and windy. I did meet some fellow bikers along the route which broke up the monotony. I ran into two guys who were biking from San Francisco to San Diego in 6 days. That's 80 miles a day! Not easy riding by any means. It's only appropriate that I mention I encountered them while one of them was taping up his chafing nipples...80 mile days will do that to you. I also passed by Mike and Jiwon and enjoyed a few clementines next to the side of the road with them (thanks Jiwon!). 

Kenny and David

I continued on Highway 101 and stopped to take a quick 'lunch' which consisted of chocolate-covered raisins and trail mix. Candy is a must on this trip. So many carbs and so much fat...it makes me think that we should redefine when people eat candy. Instead of movie theaters and theme parks, we should be offering candy at gyms!

Nothing like a picnic on the highway…

I finally made it into the town of Goleta and off the highway where I encountered some more friendly bikers. I really liked biking through Santa Barbara. They have a nice bike path along the main roads so traffic is not an issue. As soon as I reached the city limits, everything came to life. 

Robert aka Ra aka Conch man aka navigator

By the time I got to the beach in Santa Barbara, I realized I wouldn't be making it to Ventura as I originally planned. This meant that I wouldn't be able to bike with Rob and Myilan on their last day. I text them and let them know how great it was to meet them and decided to bike to the nearest hiker/biker site, which was Carpinteria State Beach. 

This campsite has given me the most interesting first impression. After charging me $10 (as opposed to the regular $5-$6) for a spot, they let me know that showers are $0.50 for 2 minutes! To top off the oddities, they proceed to ask me my tent color and if I have any pets...Weird, but nice campground.

Tomorrow I'm headed to a campsite in Malibu, just 50 miles from Carpinteria. It will be one of my easiest days yet since it's basically flat the entire way. After that, I'll be in LA!

Day 29 - 48 miles (Carpinteria to Malibu)

I dreamt I was 5 days away from going on a long biking adventure and I didn't feel prepared. I was anxious thinking I still needed to buy something or learn something or fix a setting on my bike. As I opened my eyes, the fear melted away as reality surrounded me. I was in my tent, on day 29, with less than 300 miles to go. I'm not sure how this dream found its way into my head since I feel totally ready for the last week, but it makes me smile. Being on the road for month and knowing what to expect gives me a confidence only founded in experience. I'm saddened by the thought of the end but also ready for it. 

Today was one of the easiest days on this trip: 50 miles on flat terrain. I left camp at 11am and was done by 4pm. It was a nice break for my knees which are starting to feel the strain again. I'm happy to report that all but the last 5 miles of riding were on a bike path! Leaving Carpinteria was a dream. They built a 10 mile long bike path along the highway. It was as awesome as you can imagine. 

I spent the majority of my day inland and didn't see many scenery changes. I rode passed a few naval bases and farms, but nothing too scenic. On my way to camp, I stopped at Neptune's Net on the recommendation of a friend. The food was...just okay. I ordered fish and chips and they literally called my number right before I sat down. It was like a nicer version of McDonalds. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. Who knows!

After dinner, I spent half an hour watching surfers try to catch a wave. It was a little frustrating seeing waves they could have caught pass them by because they didn't have the vantage point I had. I really enjoyed the relaxation. I don't usually sit around for 30 minutes at a time but it was a nice change of pace. 

I arrived at camp around 5:30 and met some new bikers. Dylan is on day 1 and plans to bike to Virginia over the next two months. Ed has biked over 100,000 miles since 1997 and is currently on a trip from Virginia to LA and then to Denver. Today is his 109th day on the road. 

Dylan

Ed

After sharing a few beers (thanks Mike!), I headed to bed, eagerly awaiting the warm shower and comfortable bed that await me in LA. MY awesome cousin got me a hotel in the city and I'm excited by the though of doing laundry and laying in a bed! Tomorrow will be a fairly easy and relaxing day...