February, 2008 Tour De California
Fun with Ray and Jerry 2/19-25/08

US Airways did a good job on the whole trip and the flights went well. After sitting on the plane, however, it was great to ride my new Titus Modena bike that Ray built for me. I took it for about a ten mile walk.

Day two: It was raining and my new bike was going to get wet and muddy. I tried to talk Ray into using his red bike. It was a high performance bike but I called it a “junk bike.” He said, “NO WAY!”

The third day we rode 67 miles. On the way to Mother Hubbards in Buellton for breakfast there was this farm road with mud. I was able to get three handfuls of wet mud off my new bike. We rode the time trial course. It was about 15 miles and took me about an hour and a half. The racers did it in about 30 minutes. What fun! I found a half pound wheel weight.

Our next ride took us 27 miles out of Lompoc to and on Vandenberg AFB. We went down to the airport, 29 miles an hour. More fun! Going back it was 10 miles an hour because of a strong wind. We went down a steep grade and had to pedal.

We went to San Luis Obispo, CA where the International bike ride would end for the day. The riders were slow; it was about 45 degrees, raining and there was a 40 mile an hour wind. They spent about 6 hours, 56 minutes, 9 seconds traveling 135 miles. They started in Santa Cruz. It was a very hard day for them. Dominique Rollin came in first and George Hincapie second. We got there at 1:00 p.m. and left at 6. It rained the whole time - just like home. Went back to Ray’s to watch more of it on TV.

After the third day I was looking and the couch I slept on was a hide-a-bed. I really had better sleep on the couch than on the bed. Don’t ask me why.

Levi Leipheimer did the 15 mile time trials the fastest today. He is still first. I bought a bike for Vellen (son) today. I hope he pays me back. It is a very, very good mountain bike.

Saturday it was cloudy and in the 50’s – cold to start. We rode from Lompoc to the lighthouse. There was a fast ride to the guard station. Ray got us in at Vandenberg AFB and up a mile hill (what a great ride today), then to the beach. The wind came up and it was out of the southeast with 61-mile-an-hour wind gusts (They felt like 90 MPH>). The cross wind was something to take special note. It was very hard to go across the wind. Six miles an hour was top speed going down hill. Another part was a drain gully I rode in to keep out of the wind and when I came out of it, it stopped me and I almost fell over. On the way back you would be behind an embankment and then a valley where you just got hammered.

One place where we stopped and I got off to rest, the wind blew the bike. The tires slid side ways in the gravel. I had to hold onto the handle bars to keep it there. There was one road that went with the wind. On the way back you coasted up hill. I was riding along just coasting and then there was a turn. Ray said we should shift down. I was thinking it wasn’t that bad. Well, it was! I stopped! Back to be blown all over the road again. I stopped about every quarter mile to rest. One time I stopped behind a power pole and some farm workers drove out of a side rode and laughed at me. The power lines were bowed in a big “U” shape. What a sight to see.

It was a real workout but fun to be with Stephanie and Chuck, Jerry and Ray. We did 39.8 miles today and I was sore in the shoulders.

Sunday was a slow day. The weatherman said 90% chance of rain and wind. He was right on the wind. I went for a three mile ride just to say I went for a ride.

One thing you should never do is eat two big tubs of popcorn at the movies before dinner. I was full. The dinner and dessert were great but I just ate too much. We watched Leipheimer win the race on TV.

My new bike will be shipped to me next week. It is a Titus Modena. You can Google it if you want to look at it. There is no picture because some of my friends use dial-up and that is high Tec for them and me.

Byran got Raymonized.

January, 2008 Katrina’s Wedding
Fun with Ray

January 24, 2008 – First day of driving wasn’t all that bad. The roads were clear with snow spitting on us until we got about 50 miles from Redding, California. We were stopped and told to put on chains. We did and drove the next 20 miles or so on wet pavement. It was not bad. We stayed the night in Redding. The motel was convenient to the bike trail and a restaurant. I took Bike Friday for a ride. I like their bike trail and the glass bridge they built. I talked to a teacher playing hooky. It was fun to talk to people and find out how they do things and their problems.

After driving through an endless rain storm, we arrived at the Best Western in Concord and then off for another bike ride in the rain.. We went to the wedding rehearsal and then followed Gretchen and Mike through another driving rain storm to the rehearsal dinner. They went the back roads to avoid traffic. Saturday I went for another bike ride (Yes, it was in the rain), and then Ilene and I went to Katrina and Jason’s wedding (the reason we were in California). We met up with Marci and Tim, Sharon and Vellen, Myran and Trina. What is that shiny thing in the sky?

Before the wedding, Jason (groom) gave his grooms’ men a flask. Mike (Gretchen’s husband) filled his with Southern Comfort and they were all passing the flask, including Pastor Kevin. Pastor Bill (82) wouldn’t start the service until he finished his beer. Where is my Bud?

The weather was very nice, actually dry until the end of the reception. There was lots of dancing and food. A good time was had by all.

A thought to remember: “Reading a map on a bike is very hard and men don’t do things like that. I always do dead reckoning.” Yes, I have been misplaced for a few hours. OK, so I had a map and still got lost. I rode off the map then looked at it.

Now we are at Lynn and Lee’s and I am thinking it is time for a canal ride into Concord. They have some great rails to trails and canal rides. Lee took some paper and a pencil and wrote out how to get to the trail that would take me to all the other trails because they all link together. Yes, I have a map from the bike store that will help me find my way; it has all the trails and roads on it too. This will be fun. Lee says, “Do you want me to take you to the trailhead?” (No, I have Bike Friday.)

So off I go down Ygnacio then on to Cowell and then on to Treat. They will connect with the trail and it works, but I made a wrong turn. Well, not really. I didn’t make a turn. It is OK because I will pass over the trail and get on to it by my “dead reckoning;” it works well most of the time. Three hours later I found the trail with the help of some friendly walkers. I was off the map and went to Concord. A very big golf course is there. I had a great time seeing the houses and streets. I did have a lot of fun and did find the trail. Down the Contra Costa Canal trail then the Ygnacio Canal. It is getting late and I asked the lady where does this trail go and she says to just ride on around. Well, I found where the reception was and about umpteen trails so I picked one that looked good and Off I went. I got through and found the Contra Costa Canal Trail and it took me back to Concord where I was lost before and still am. So I get on Farm Bureau Road to Clayton Road. It is getting dark so I call for a ride back to Lee’s. The phone I didn’t charge said beep, Beep, BEEP. Lee picked up and I say, “Pick me up at Clayton and Treat – BEEP – Lee says take a Right on Clayton – BEEP – NO, I say pick me up - BEEP – oh, OK, BEEP – for the last time.

I see the car and I am standing in an open lot and waving, WAVING. He drives by. I am thinking, “What is with this?” I could have touched the car – well ten feet. He must have the wrong street and will be coming back. Here he comes back on the other side of the street so I push the light because he is in the gas station over there. He is off and over to the restaurant and I have the light so off I go and he sees me. Yeah, I am saved! OK, so I am not too smart and ride across 5 lanes in heavy traffic to get rescued. It was OK because it was dark and no one could see me.

We left Concord on Tuesday, January 29th for Lompoc, CA. There was a heavy, heavy rain all the way. We arrived at Ray and Carolyn’s around 4:00 p.m. Carolyn had supper for us and we caught up on our lives and watched TV.

The guys went biking on Wednesday. Met up with Stephanie and Chuck and biked the hills of California and got within about 5 miles of snow. Bike Friday did very, very well, but the guy pushing the pedals was really starting to hurt. The non-existing training in about 30 degree weather was really showing. Carolyn and Ilene went to the Chumash casino to play and have lunch. They paid Ilene about $20.

Ray loaned me a Titus street bike Thursday. We went to the beach and to Vandenberg AFB for a fish burger. I am hurting a lot less today. I am thinking my bike Friday is harder to pedal (what I am trying to do is convince the wife I need a new bike because my Klein has 18,000 miles on it). We went up and hit a bucket of balls. Ray kicked my butt. He even got a hole-in-one. The bike riding was starting to show. Went home and had to drink a glass of Fish Eye wine to help the muscles. The weather was absolutely terrible today. It was 60 degrees, sunshine, and only a slight breeze. Where did the rain go? I am from Oregon and will dry out.

Friday Ray and I rode to Home Depot to meet the bike club. Only the hardy showed up because there was a chance of rain. Ed, the “hardy”, and Ray took us over to Mother Hubbard’s in Buellton for breakfast. Carolyn and Ilene joined us for breakfast. Two international bike teams, Toyota United and Health Net, rode by us. They are kind of spoiled here. There was a cloud in the sky and the roads were wet and there was a mild 20 mph wind. We took almost as long to clean up the bikes as to ride them.

We left the next day. Yes, in Redding it was raining very, very hard with snow flakes or what Ilene calls “fat rain.” The road was chains only 10 miles north of town so we stayed the night. There was more rain than before. I don’t like driving at night in a white out.

There was no rain the next day. I went up to the gas station to find someone who had just gone over the road and knew the conditions. There was a guy with a pickup and trailer and said it was real bad and a white out. After talking with him for a little bit, I found out he was talking about the day before. I was thinking, “You dummy! What do I care about the day before?”

Chains required 50 miles north of town. This time there was snow on the road. The cable chains broke so I taped the broken end to the side. After about 35 miles the road was good and the trucks were taking their chains off. I did too. The next pass chains were required for another 35 miles. What fun! They broke again. All the breaks were on one side. Truckers were taking off their chains and I was happy to do that too. No more chains the rest of the trip.

We arrived home in time to see the last half of the Super Bowl game. I did learn one thing – Don’t drive to California in the winter if you want an easy drive. I flew the next time (two weeks later) to see the International Bike races with Jerry and Ray.

What is boring like?