I arrived in San Francisco, got my bike from Deb and Dan's, got all my stuff together and peaced out. Hugged James, Iju and Jiwon, and rode down California St towards the bay. I took the ferry from San Francisco to Vallejo, at which point I started riding to Davis. In Davis, I stayed with Becky, a family friend. A shot out to Becky for kicking ass. She took me to the Davis farmer's market, fed me (even bought me a beer!) and took me on a tour of Davis. After being on the bike for five hours, there's nothing better than a shower, food, beer, and straight chilling. A few observations from day 1. First, the adventure cycling maps kick ass. They have turn by turn directions, and super accurate indications of where to get food, water and bike supplies. Second, California is a gorgeous place. The landscape has changed so much from yesterday to today. Yesterday I rode through wine country and tons of fruit farms, while today I entered the foothills of the Sierras, full of coniferous trees. I haven't done a ton of climbing yet, but tomorrow I'll end up going up about 7000 feet. Third, Davis is super cool! The biking infrastructure is some of the best I've ever encountered. The city itself is small, and pretty cute. It's like Iowa City without harsh winters and with more vegans.
Today I rode from Davis to Placerville. It was hard. I thought that the ride was going to be about 65 miles, but I think I ended up riding about 75. Woah. The last 10 miles were hard! I wouldn't have made it if I hadn't bought a new saddle. I finally dropped the cash on a leather saddle. I didn't get a Brooks; I got a Rivet saddle instead. John at edible pedal in Sacramento sold me on it. I've been wary of getting a leather saddle because of the ergonomics and the break-in period. As a result, I rode from Vallejo to Davis on my Pro Turnix saddle. It's a great saddle for going fast, but it sucks for going slow. As a result, I was really sore this morning when I got on the bike. The Rivet saddle was a revelation. It's easily the most comfortable saddle I've ever used. I can't wait to see what it feels like in a couple of weeks, after I've put a few hundred miles on it. Tonight I'm staying with a couple from warmshowers. For those who don't know what warmshowers is, it's a site for putting bike tourists in contact with potential hosts. So far, these guys have been great! They fed me, watered me, and talked me up. I feel so grateful for the people that I've spent time with so far on this trip, even after two days.
My grandpa Charlie has been on my mind all day today. Rest in peace gramps.
Today I rode from Davis to Placerville. It was hard. I thought that the ride was going to be about 65 miles, but I think I ended up riding about 75. Woah. The last 10 miles were hard! I wouldn't have made it if I hadn't bought a new saddle. I finally dropped the cash on a leather saddle. I didn't get a Brooks; I got a Rivet saddle instead. John at edible pedal in Sacramento sold me on it. I've been wary of getting a leather saddle because of the ergonomics and the break-in period. As a result, I rode from Vallejo to Davis on my Pro Turnix saddle. It's a great saddle for going fast, but it sucks for going slow. As a result, I was really sore this morning when I got on the bike. The Rivet saddle was a revelation. It's easily the most comfortable saddle I've ever used. I can't wait to see what it feels like in a couple of weeks, after I've put a few hundred miles on it. Tonight I'm staying with a couple from warmshowers. For those who don't know what warmshowers is, it's a site for putting bike tourists in contact with potential hosts. So far, these guys have been great! They fed me, watered me, and talked me up. I feel so grateful for the people that I've spent time with so far on this trip, even after two days.
My grandpa Charlie has been on my mind all day today. Rest in peace gramps.
Good to hear from you! Loving your observations. Will you add pictures? Don't skimp on the Desitin. Love you!
ReplyDeleteHi Dean, love the story so far!
ReplyDelete