I’m doing two things today that I really don’t much like doing. I’m driving to ride. Plus, I’m riding way too early. But, that is the way sometimes, in these beautiful places that have grown. The better riding is always further and further out.
I rarely, pretty much never drive to ride at home. There is no need for it. So when I have to do it somewhere else, it seems so foreign.
I don’t really like driving to races, even though sometimes I drive more than a day or two to get to one. One of the best things about racing in Belgium is that a very high percentage of the time I could ride to the race, race it and then ride back. Even though sometimes the races were 4 or 5 hours. It is a country made to race bicycles. Small and interesting.
So I kind of get the driving to ride deal. Going where there is better climbing, less traffic, etc. But I don’t get the leaving early thing. It is going to be in the lower 50’s at 8 am. By noon it is going to be in the mid 60’s. I usually ride, especially on the weekends, when it is the best temperature. Plus, I hardly ever race early in the morning. More of my races start at 10 pm nowadays than 7 or 8 am.
There are a lot of choices of what to do these weekend. I was hoping to race, but think I need another longer, slower ride to try to jump start my legs back into reality. Plus, the races are a couple hours north in Los Angeles. I am still kicking around racing tomorrow, a criterium in Ontario. It just depends how I feel riding today.
On a more depressing note, Trudi called yesterday from Europe. She had flown to Nice and picked up a truck to drive to Barcelona for the Volta a Catalunya. She pulled over at a rest stop to use the restroom and when she came back, someone had broken out the window of her truck and stolen all her personal stuff. She lost her computer, a cell phone, all her jewelry, etc. Last I talked to her yesterday, it was late at night her time and she was at a police station filling out a report. She was pretty depressed. She said what bothered her the most was all her stuff was floating around Europe on on its own. I sort of know what she means. It doesn’t belong there with who has it. Just wrong in general.
Okay, it’s pitch dark out, but I need to load up my bike. When it’s all over, it seems okay, but now, I still am rebelling.
This is Lake Hodges from Del Dios Hwy. Today we’re heading up to San Marcos to ride at Corky’s place. We’re riding Deluz, whatever that is.
These pelicans were flowing me up and down the coast the other day.
We need to build a wall to Africa. And some of the new countries that joined the EU last couple years do not take care of their poor either. But in the end the Wall Street is to blame for the massive misery that ppl are still suffering from all over southern Europe. It’s a mess…
Damn, was that the computer that you just sent over to Trudi?
Sorry to hear about Trudi’s troubles, but It should be one o’ them rules. Unless the car/truck is going to be in your direct sight, you bring those valuable things into the hotel, truck stop, restaurant, etc. even if you’re going in just to take a pee and grab a coffee. Whether you’re in Detroit, Topeka or Milan it’s the same thing, especially if you’re driving something with advertising stickers on it. We learned it many years ago on the Italian autostrada when some crooks got the briefcase that should have been hanging from a strap on my shoulder. The good news is the laptop will likely get scrubbed clean and sold, so no personal data will be lost – at least that’s what happened to ours, according to the police.
Yeah, people in Topeka, or Austin, or Palo Alto, or Cambridge, or Highland Park, or the Hamptons, or La Jolla never have their cars broken into . . .
Adding to Larry T comment , there is NO Security on the EU Highway System of Motorway services ! At the TDF many years ago i came across Sth Africans that were Gassed as they slept , then lost eveerything of value ! Not sure if that continues to be a problem not know that the UK Motorway Services will send you a DEMAND for payment if you stay longer than 2 hours !
The signs tell you to stop if Tired , then THEY ROB YOU , when you obey ! Not as if the food or drink is palatable either !
” LIKE ” https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vision-ZERO-Worldwide/540123632761709
TIME UCI took CYCLE SAFETY seriously , if only to look after the Por Racers !
Steve, I always enjoy reading your blog. A few weeks ago I met Mick of Rivers Eatery, talking to a parent group at my kid’s high school.
Anyway, with regard to “I don’t get the leaving early thing” – I’d love to always ride at the nicer times of the day (the best of which, in my opinion, would usually be late afternoon ’til sunset), but often family commitments and my job mean that I ride in the early morning. I suspect that’s true for lots of folks.