Shifting Gears

Season 3 Episode 19 (10/28-10/29) Oh, Mexico, I guess I'll have to go –  10/28 Irvine to Solana Beach, CA. 71 miles, 2315’ climb. We said our goodbyes to Lori and Henry, and the difficulty of departing was made easier by the support of another guest rider. At dinner last night, we discovered Martin is a cyclist, and we were thrilled he accepted our invitation to ride with us. It was great support while Martin led us through Irvine’s terrific bike trails for the first hour before he turned back towards home. We learned about Irvine’s pioneering history as a planned city from the 1960s. Its success of planned villages within a city, walking and biking trails, preserved wetlands and open space has become a model that others study. As we rode west to the coast and then south, we loved the beach town of Dana Point where we discovered the Elephant Parade. This is a herd of 38 Asian elephant statues, in front of the Gallery Dana Bay, that aims to raise awareness of elephant conservation...

Season 3 Episode 18 (10/27) Another Stay in Four Days –  10/27 Santa Monica to Irvine, CA. 67 miles, 839’ climb. We met up last night for a delicious dinner with Craig, our first planned guest rider for this morning. He lives in Santa Monica and we had met him on the same Australian bike tour in February in which we met Zach (guest in episode 11). Craig rode from Santa Monica with us and gave us local commentary as we pedaled through Venice, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach. That’s where we picked up guest rider #2, Susan, another friend made from the same tour, who lives in Redondo Beach. Craig and Susan guest riders. We joked about how we should ride on the opposite side of the street (like in Australia) to really reenact how we last rode. We cycled through Torrance and Carson to get to Long Beach, with Heather snapping photos while on the move, and still managing to avoid moving cars! When we reached the Los Angeles River in Long Beach, Craig and Susan headed bac...

Season 3 Episode 17 (10/24-26) Chicken Soup for the Soul – 10/24 Lompoc to Santa Barbara, CA. 58 miles 2640’ climb. Whenever we stay at a hotel, we stay on the ground floor if possible as it’s easier than getting bikes in and out of elevators. Although we are proficient at it by now. Our day started with a first for us. We were on the second floor and found a sign that said “Elevator out of order. Sorry for the inconvenience.” At least it was only one flight of stairs to carry our bikes down. As we ride for the Reeve Foundation, Heather asked a critical question: what’s a person who uses a wheel chair supposed to do in a hotel or apartment building in such a situation? We enjoyed scenic riding with a wide shoulder. A risk is a hubcap flying off a moving car. If you’ve ever seen it actually happen, they fly really fast and can cause serious injury. Luck is with us so far. I navigate using Adventure Cycling Association maps, Google Maps and Ride with GPS. Here all 3 brought us to this po...