Dan's
AIDS/Lifecycle 8 Pictures
Day 2 Monday (6/1/2009) - Santa Cruz to
King City
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Day 2. Santa Cruz to King City, 106 miles, 3000' of climbing.
The route would take us from Santa Cruz inland though the Salinas Valley to King City. My main concern was to get into camp as soon as could due to me riding on the fixed gear bike. As it would turn out, I had had my quickest year ever on that bike.
Shots of the morning in Santa Cruz. By this time, after waking up at 4:25 am,
eating breakfast, dressing and packing up, I'm ready to hit the road by 6:30am.
Bike Parking in Santa Cruz.
Riders waiting to be released fro roll-out. We were not allowed out on the route
before 6:30am.
Finally on the road to King City. Today would be the longest day at 106 miles.
Rest Stop One in Watsonville. It was still very cool.
The route from E-Rest Stop 1 to Rest Stop 2 through the agricultural fields near
Monterey. We also rode though Moss Landing where we saw a power plant and many
seals. In the fields were among other veggies and fruits, strawberry and
artichokes.
I stopped at the artichoke shop to use the bathroom but many riders stopped to
eat fried artichokes. I ate there a few years ago and decided with another 80
miles to go, I didn't need the fried food sitting in my gut.
Lunch at mile 44. I'm here with an unknown Media roadie on the left with
Downtown Julie Brown my friend in the middle of us.
My friend Daniel from France and me at lunch.
Me and Officer Randy Files.
The ride on G17 which heads out to King City for 35 miles. It's a fast ride
because there is always a tailwind. This is where having a fixed gear bike
doesn't benefit you. The fastest I can go on flat and level ground is 22mph.
Many geared bikes were passing me because they had much bigger gears (and many
of them).
Mom and Dad on the route in the middle of nowhere.
Rest Stop 3 at mile 62 had a airline theme. The Porta-Potty were for Mile High
members.
The Soledad Mission Water stop. Amazing!
Riding out to the skinny dipping point at the bridge. No, I didn't partake in
the festivities.
It would good to see drumming along the route again!
Next up? The Cookie Lady at mile 90! She starts baking in March for us! They
even had cold milk to go with the cookies.
Back on the road to Greenville and Rest Stop 4. I wasn't going to stop but I had
an out of true front wheel and I had to go to bike tech.
The theme was cell block. Check out the pictures on the potties! Classic!
The last 14 miles to camp in King City. It would be a fast 45 minutes!
Into camp at 3 pm. The picture on the right is SF AIDS Foundation CEO (also a
rider again this year) introducing riders from the Ivory Coast. They are
organizing their own ride there at the end of the year. Really inspiring!