Tour de Sweat - L.A. to Tijuana
I didnt have time to take any photos a few weeks back whilst riding my first double metric in Ventura/Santa Barbara for the Coolbreeze Century, but I did manage to get a few average photos in on Saturday riding more casually from L.A. to Tijuana (see easychaironfire's earlier post on the ride http://community.livejournal.com/bikepirates/2351141.html#cutid1), unfortunately I missed taking photos of all the beaches and random stuff we came across, and by the time we got to Tijuana it was dark. Overall the ride was great though, even riding on the freeway was fine thanks to gridlock making us faster than freeway traffic. Somehow we started with 11 and finished with 3, but no casualties so it was a fun day out
Things not to do whilst riding 130 miles:
- sleep less than 3 hours the night before (many of us fell for this one)
- ride a messenger bag in the middle of summer for 14 hours instead of buying panniers
- go to Long Beach...for any reason
- ride through Torrey Pines/notoriously hilly areas after 110 miles
- eat SUPER spicy thai food before doing notoriously hilly riding
- ride into downtown San Diego in the dark
- piss off Border Patrol by riding your bike across the border crossing instead of walking, hence facing getting sent back to the U.S.
- DO NOT LAUGH SO HARD YOU CANNOT RIDE FAST TO ESCAPE RABID PACK OF WILD DOGS ON L.A. FREEWAY UNDERPASS WHILE YOUR FRIENDS SCREAM LIKE 3 YEAR OLDS IN FEAR
Things to do:
- ride your bike really far with really good people
- eat pancakes
- eat potato tacos
- accept all offers of water
- enjoy life
- regrease bottom bracket BEFORE riding
Just south of downtown L.A. after our 5.30am breakfast. As you can see industrial wasteland L.A. has little to offer
7am - first flat of the day, another 5 or so followed
...some initial confusion as to where the L.A. River trail actually was
The mighty L.A. River/storm drain at full flow
Some off-roading
Meeting the second group in Long Beach
>>> then no photos because I was too busy trying not to puke/get hit by cars/consume massive amounts of water
My view in Tijuana the next day (with the U.S. just outside of the shot on the left)
Killing time in San Diego/home of the military industrial complex whilst waiting for super delayed train back to L.A. two days later
Things not to do whilst riding 130 miles:
- sleep less than 3 hours the night before (many of us fell for this one)
- ride a messenger bag in the middle of summer for 14 hours instead of buying panniers
- go to Long Beach...for any reason
- ride through Torrey Pines/notoriously hilly areas after 110 miles
- eat SUPER spicy thai food before doing notoriously hilly riding
- ride into downtown San Diego in the dark
- piss off Border Patrol by riding your bike across the border crossing instead of walking, hence facing getting sent back to the U.S.
- DO NOT LAUGH SO HARD YOU CANNOT RIDE FAST TO ESCAPE RABID PACK OF WILD DOGS ON L.A. FREEWAY UNDERPASS WHILE YOUR FRIENDS SCREAM LIKE 3 YEAR OLDS IN FEAR
Things to do:
- ride your bike really far with really good people
- eat pancakes
- eat potato tacos
- accept all offers of water
- enjoy life
- regrease bottom bracket BEFORE riding
Just south of downtown L.A. after our 5.30am breakfast. As you can see industrial wasteland L.A. has little to offer
7am - first flat of the day, another 5 or so followed
...some initial confusion as to where the L.A. River trail actually was
The mighty L.A. River/storm drain at full flow
Some off-roading
Meeting the second group in Long Beach
>>> then no photos because I was too busy trying not to puke/get hit by cars/consume massive amounts of water
My view in Tijuana the next day (with the U.S. just outside of the shot on the left)
Killing time in San Diego/home of the military industrial complex whilst waiting for super delayed train back to L.A. two days later