Ride Report:
San Diego, CA. I have to admit, one would have to be crazy to argue with our fiare cities' motto today. It's JANUARY 5th for crying out loud! I don't know what the actual temp was today but let's just say this; we could have ridden naked. A picture perfect day for a Vintage ride and a converging of friends from several parts of the country. In attendence were Mark Petry from WA, Matt Gorskey and Jay Van De Velde from Orange County, Charles Andrews from LA, Sterling Peters, Jim Ogden, and Shaun (?) from San Diego, and myself from La Mesa, CA. Oh yeah, there was this foriegner that showed up just before blast-off time. We were beginning to fear the worst for Brother Pergolizzi when he finally appeared on his recently acquired Riverwhale. Matt and Jay and Shaun were aboard Slonagos of various sorts. I was riding my Hippy Dippy Lippy and Jim Ogden straddled a Motorbeercan (also known as Moto Bacons in my neighborhood). Mark Petry was riding a Mousy for the very first time and Sterling was riding his De Hoseya. Charles brought a Davidsled that I'd never seen before.
After a small timing snafu we all got together and finally hit the road at about 10 something. As it turns out, it was me that had ants in his pants! I was impatient with the delay, since I show up a bit early and am ready to get moving when the time strikes. Luckily Mark was concerned for the late arrival who had been sighted in the park just before start time. One truely could not have asked for a nicer nor lighter trafficed day in our town. Our route wanderes through a few old and beautiful neighborhoods as we head for the famous "Deadmans' Curve". As we decend thru Presidio Park and blast around the odd radaii off camber turns (the famous ones I rode the trike down awhile ago) we hit Pacific Coast Hwy. A short distance on PCH and then we duck into a bike path that heads west towards Nimitz Blvd. and eventually the base of the climb to the tip of Point Loma. The traffic is testy in one spot but overall this route is full of variety and great views and terrain. While on the bike path Brother Matty suffered a broken spoke on the rear wheel. Our attempts to straighten the 28 hole wheel resulted in a second broken spoke. BUMMER! Matty had to limp back to the park as we set off to the fun and games of the climb ahead. We turned up Catalina Ave. and the upward pitch began. I slipped off the back instantly as Perg, Petry, and Peters pushed the pace! I kept them within range for the duration of the climb, but by the crest they were not visible over the rolling road out to the lighthouse. Jay and I played cat and mouse the whole way, me losing ground every time the road acended even a millimeter and gaining some back on every drop as we went back and forth like a set of Newtons' Balls. Mark and Sterling rode down to the tide pools ( which might as well be the depths of Hell as far as I'm concerned), a decent and climb back up much worse that what we just did, and for what? What's down there anyway? I've never been there and probably never will. I'm normally barely alive by the time we get to the turn around point at the end where we wait for everybody. You'd have to be insane (or fit) to go down THERE.
We regrouped. My favorite trick is to whip everybody into heading out just as the smartalecs who go down to the tidepools get back to the top where we're waiting for them. Mark and Sterling appear and I yell "OK, are we ready to head out of here?" Mark says he's ready and I'm off pedaling down the road. Then same rollies on the way back down the penninsula but they are more painful now. We hit the long straight downhill and suddenly Pergolizzi and I are buzzing down the hill at full bore. Perg the sprinter running 49 x 13 and me (over the hill pigiron) roll down the street like a pair of boulders in an avalanche (and about that graceful). The road makes a right turn after a while and then a fast curving downhill section that drops us off by Shelter Island. I suck(er) Johns wheel most of the way down as he impresses me with his legspeed. I impress him by sucker punching him near the bottom knowing he would be gassed from the pull. I stepped on the 53 x 13 and showed him what a heartless a-hole I am. John was a good sport. True sprinterm that he is, he said "I knew it was comming" and he wasn't kidding. We bypassed the Point Loma Fish Market in favor of Anthonys' where we sat and had lunch next to "The Star of India" sailing ship.
I didn't eat anything before the ride so I was ready for food, but like Mark I prefer not to eat during a ride. But that's what this one entails and the social part is oftentimes priceless. Case in point. We're sitting there at the tables waiting for out food when a couple appears in the line to order. The female was particularly "noticable" you might say. VERY beautiful blonde tan CA woman. Unbelieveable legs. I notice that the (much shorter) gentleman looks like this guy Eddie that I used to ride with in the San Diego Bicycle Club back in the early 90s. I yell out "Hey, Eddie" and the guy turns around. It is Eddie. Meanwhile we've been making typical male conversation about who turns out to be Eddies' girlfriend Diane. Close one; glad Eddie didn't hear the conversation at our table! Eddie comes over to me and suddenly Eddie is introducing Diane to me as the others look on sheepisly (I assume, since I wasn't looking at THEM). We head back to the park as a few splinter off to Sterlings house to check out a few cool bikes. More about that from someone else at the ride if they want to tell you what he bought from Sterling.
Wonderful day except for we missed Matty after he had to return to base. He did join us at the fish joint near the end. I'm going to have to get in shape a bit if I'm going to ride with John. I should be able to ride 5 miles a week and catch up to him in no time ;-). These rides are really great. We ALWAYS have fun and great conversations. Life just doesn't get any better.
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA