Yay!!!!! I can post here again!
Met up with
@Bill in Laguna Canyon at 10:35. We had to dart between "protesters" who were parading into Laguna with American Flags and Trump signs - ready to go show that they're Honey Badgers - and Honey Badgers don't care about no stupid pandemic. Live Free or Die!
But I digress. We made it through the parade of some 200 cars - well, mostly trucks and jeeps. And up Willow we went. Then Missing Link/Fenceline, then down Lizard, up to Camarillo, down that, across Stagecoach. At the top of one of the little grinder hills a poor soul was on the phone with someone trying to get help. Seems his pretty new chain on his $12,000 new Yeti (with electronic shifting) had snapped and he had no tools, parts or knowledge of how to fix it. He was calling the bike shop when we rescued him. He owes me a new master link! I told him to pay it forward. He said his other bike is a Yeti SB 165, and that he enjoys sailing and surfing with his kids. I was shocked to learn he lives in Newport! He was very kind, so there's that.
Continuing on Stagecoach then another pull up Willow and traverse over to T and A. I was apprehensive about riding the trail that smacked me on my ass a couple weeks ago, but made it unscathed. Bill got a little scathed as he hugged a large boulder with his left shoulder. Not a fall, just a rude encounter. Oh and the new section of T and A is a nightmare - a tunnel of 10' tall mustard, not wide enough for bars in some places. Feels like the hotel corridor in The Shining.
'Twasn't crowded. 'Twasn't hot. Twasn't raining. 'Twas a bit muddy here and there, but not bad. Oh and my new RC shoes were stellar! I do like my old Straitline pedals better than my new Spank Spoons. Easier for me to find the right position. However, they are notoriously tedious to maintain. I lost an o-ring while riding introducing about 2mm of left/right slop to my left pedal.
The things we have to tolerate in this world - am I right?
I wasn't feeling real strong, and my left side is not 100% (shoulder, rib, hand) so I rode about 20-30% off my typical DH pace. Bill was on my ass the whole time but never wanted to lead. He was afraid he would go too fast. He probably would. He was smiling ear-to-ear on his Speshy plush plow.
Sorry no pics, so I guess it didn't happen. But if it did, it was 14 mi, 2300' Bikes are fun! Especially ones that remain upright!
