Cool Breeze Mini Metric 2007

Laurel's first organized ride, after training for over a month.The Cool Breeze Mini started in Ventura and did an out-and-back along the Ventura River Bike Trail toward Ojai. Then another out-and-back north along Highway 101 to Carpinteria.Laurel looks ready to ride even after only 4 hours of sleep. She was up packing for her move to Berkeley. We left Long Beach at 6:30 and will drive up to NoCal after the ride.Checking out the route guide.Can't forget the Butt Butt'r and sunscreen. . . guess which one goes where the sun don't shine.Ready at the start. Laurel looks Pro and I look like a newbie with my helmet falling off my head.After one hour of riding, Laurel takes a break to fuel up with Luna Bars and Vitamin Water.Braving the 101 Freeway heading north toward Santa Barbara. You need to be a steady rider with cars zooming by at 65+ MPH.Rest stop at Rincon Beach Park, mile 23. The popsicles were a nice treat on a hot day.Congratulations on your first ride! 38 Miles in under three hours. Maybe Berkeley has a cycling team.

Three Harbors Tour 2007

The Three Harbors Century started in Ventura, headed south to Channel Islands, inland to Oxnard and Ojai, the climb up to Lake Casitas, and north to Santa Barbara for lunch. Then a nice downwind spin along the coast back to Ventura for lunch number 2.
6:30 check-in at Ventura Harbor.The Channel Island Harbor covered with fog .The fertile Oxnard Plain is one of the world's most important agricultural centers. It is the Strawberry and Lima Bean capital.The Ventura-Ojai Valley bike path wanders along the Ventura River and Hwy 33. Foster Park is a nice stopping place. A Bobcat ran right in front of me -not quick enough for a picture.Elevation map of a mostly flat ride except the climb from the coast up Ojai Valley and the Casitas Pass. Total climb was 3,945 feet.The Casitas Pass Road was the highest point on this ride-1,117 feet. Guess the name of that lake.The new Ortega Hill bike path along the 101 allows you to bypass the narrow and winding Ortega Hill Rd out of Summerland.View south along Channel Drive in South Santa Barbara (Montecito). 30 miles to go mostly downwind and flat back to Ventura Harbor.

UC Berkeley-CalSo

Spent two days at Cal Berkeley attending their Student/Parent Orientation (CalSo).The University of California was established in the 1800's and is located in the hills of Berkeley.
It is full of history and tradition.
Could it be "the best public university in the world"?


It sure is a beautiful campus.

But dorm living is not built for comfort. The food at Cal is great, though.Clark Kerr Campus will be Laurel's dorm. The lounge at Cafe 3. College students glued on "Tom and Jerry".Our student counselor-Daphne, full of energy and information.Student counselors teaching the parents some Cal spirit cheers including The Time Warp!Some of the Cal Band add to the spirit at the final assembly.

Bike Of The Month

My first bike was a 1959 Sears Huffy. Color was red with white trim and a silver bell. Never had streamers, but did add playing cards clipped to the fender stays with clothes pins. I later had a headlight powered by a tire driven generator. I also rigged up a left/right turn signal light system and lots of reflectors.Mike and his bike at 6 years old. We lived on a steep hill so the only place I could ride was in our two car carage. I was good at going in circles-clockwise, couter-clockwise, and figure 8's.

Ducks Win The Stanley Cup

The Anaheim Ducks is the first NHL team on the West Coast to win the Stanley Cup. Unlike the other trophies awarded to the champions of the other major sports, the Cup is a perpetual trophy kept by the winning hockey team until the next season's champion is crowned. It is also the only trophy in professional sports that has the name of the winning players, coaches, management, and club staff engraved upon it. The trophy was donated by Lord Stanley of Preston, then Governor General of Canada, in 1892.
What are the names of the other major professional sports championship trophy?
What is the Claret Jug?
The Stanley Cup visited Angels Stadium recently.
We stood in line over an hour and a half to get to spend a few seconds with Lord Stanley's Cup. Long enough to get this snapshot of Laurel and Matt.Answers: National Football League-Vince Lombardi Trophy
National Basketball Association-Larry O'Brien Trophy
Major League Baseball-Commissioner's Trophy
Claret Jug-is awarded to the winner of the British Open in golf

The Angels' 2002 World Series Trophy

San Diego Metric-Del Dios Ride

Left Encinitas at the crack of dawn to bike to the start at Mira Costa College.

The Elfin Forest-Very hard to photograph them elves, especially during the day, but you can see they are working on a project here to divert the river around their den.
The climb out of the forest. There weren't too many difficult climbs on this ride. There was the "Three Witches" on San Dieguito Road, which was 725 feet over 9.2 miles to an elevation of 766 feet. Total climbing for this ride was 3,730 feet.View of Lake Hodges from the Del Dios Highway.


Fairbanks Ranch, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, Solana Beach, La Jolla-$$$$$
The finish at Moonlight beach where there was a fitness expo. After spinning for 4 hours:22 minutes I wasn't about to join this group.
Your guess is as good as mine. Probably one of the elves from the Elfin Forest found some employment here.

Fluffy The Samba King

Recorded at the Univerity of Nevada Reno Jazz festival, April 28, 2007. The Long Beach Poly Jazz Band playing "Fluffy The Samba King". That's Laurel on the Alto Sax.

Memorial Day 2007

Memorial Day represents a solemn day of mourning, a sacred day of remembrance to honor those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms.

New Wheels-Bontrager Race X Lite

Time for an upgrade. These were my original stock Bontrager Race wheels. After a few chain drops and sucks the rear spokes were pretty torn up, almost ready to snap.
Upgraded to the Bontrager Race X Lites. Stiffer (more responsive and efficient), more aerodynamic, lighter by 300 grams, more stable in cross winds, and faster. The web site says: "Flangeless Swiss made hubs give these wheels some serious sex appeal as well as strength."
Also got some new Continental 4000 tires.
Doesn't it look - -- --- ---- F A S T?