Day 7 - Solvang to Ventura - 89 Miles

Left Solvang this morning half asleep. Notice I forgot my water bottles. I would have never made 80+ miles without them. Thank you to Donna for getting them from the hotel. It takes me over an hour to get ready for the ride. . .clean my bike, pump tires, warm-up exercises, two cameras, GPS, cycling computer, heart monitor strap, cell phone, socks, shoes, leggings, shorts, jersey, jacket, Under Armor, skull cap, helmet, gloves, sun glasses, sun screen, and lots of Chamois Butter. Oh, and two water bottles.
We started out of Solvang heading south along Alisal Road. Passing by two golf courses and Oak Trees, some covered with hanging Spanish Moss (which is in the pineapple family).


Alisal Road took us to Hwy 101, a short hill climb and the downhill of my lifetime. An 850 foot vertical drop, speed peaking out at one tick shy of 40 MPH. The downhill lasted about 9 minutes, but it felt like a lifetime, especially with cars and trucks zooming by.
We headed south along Hwy 101, entered Goleta, through UCSB, and into Santa Barbara via State Street.
Check point Mission Santa Barbara, where I met Donna for a relaxing lunch. Only 44 miles left to go to our final destination in Ventura.


After lunch we circled back around Santa Barbara through Hope Ranch, and down to the harbor. Bike trail and back roads brought us to Montecito, Summerland, Carpinteria, and the Rincon Beach Park.


Be sure to stop in at Surf Dog located at the southern end of Carpinteria near the freeway ramp. Billy will fix you up the best hot dog.


My rig has been very reliable after 450 miles of hard biking, no major breakdowns, no flats - so far. I've been cleaning and lubing the chain every day.


After 88 miles, the Ventura Pier was a welcomed site.

This was my longest ride ever.
Completed day 7: Total distance 89 miles, 6 hours:16 min, 47,481 heart beats, average speed 14.5 MPH, total ascent 1801 feet, total descent 3150 feet, energy expenditure 3392 kcal. Thinking of riding this buggy into Santa Monica tomorrow.