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.

I don’t very often ride with people that don’t race bikes. It’s not that I’m an elitist or anything. It’s just not a normal thing that I run into people that are fit enough to ride a hard ride, with lots of climbing and not race. But out here in Southern California, there are a bunch of people that train like they are training for racing, but just don’t race. Some of the guys raced previously, some never, but all were completely into the sport and rode like bike racers.

And I found the experience uplifting. It is a completely different vibe on a ride. The people are riding for themselves, pure enjoyment and, what is common for racers too, the camaraderie. The conversation on the ride is much different than riding with a bunch of Pro 1/2 guys. Way more normal, current world topic conversations. Hardly any bike race talking, which was nice.

Sports teach people life lessons. I think that is what is most important about being emerged so deeply in cycling. I get personal rewards by racing bicycles. I get to test myself, against myself, to see if all the “hard work” is paying off. But, these guys, that don’t race, they don’t need that. To me, it seems, they do it for a more pure reason. They don’t need the self gratification that racing provides sometimes.

We rode from Vista up to Deluz and then back through Rice Canyon, Couser Canyon and then back. It was about 70 miles, with close to 7000 feet of climbing. Spy puts on a ride at the end of April called the Belgian Waffle Ride. It goes through this whole area and does something like 11K feet of climbing in 130+ miles. Lots of dirt, sand and pavement. I’m sort of thinking about coming back out here to experience it.

Anyway, if you don’t ride with non-racers, you should make a point of doing it as often as you can. And if you don’t race, you should go out and do the local racing club’s training ride every once in a while. It gives both groups a new perspective on the sport we all love.

Okay, the NCAA/KU game is back on. 2nd half. Looks okay so far.

On a “normal” training ride, I don’t usually get presented with a try of treats. This is Patty, who made me an awesome tuna sandwich just a little bit later.

It was a pretty casual pace. On the right is Rhona Quick, who won the Master’s MTB Worlds a few years back.

I stopped an picked up a few avocados on the road while climbing Couser.

Old Towne in Temecula was jammed with traffic and people.

Bromont had a blast at the Ewing compound.