Started with four riders today: Mary Ann, Beth, Bob, and me.  And all was well in the early going, but the flat-bug bit going through Escondido - knocking out Beth  and Bob.  MA had to turn back soon after reaching El Norte Parkway, so it was up to me to see to that the route had something like a full riding. 
  
Of course, solo means free to improvise in my book, so I tacked on a side-trip up to Lake Wohlford and then along North Lake Wohlford past the horse ranches, egg farm and casino before heading back towards Lilac.  Oh, had to stop at Java Journey too - Mmm, that Mocha flavored Polar Cap with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle does it every time. Met a couple of casual riders there, spread the Cyclo-Gospel, and then sped on towards Lilac, jacked up on sugar and caffeine. I decided to skip the Sierra Rojo/Wilkes loop, since I did that yesterday, and just butted along against the wind on Old Castle Road. After that it was some easy riding down Old 395 and Jesmond Dene, with a bit of tailwind. Nice!
 
Next week, it is time for Group Choice again:
ACHD Ride
Date: Tuesday June 5, 2012
Time: 8:30am
Anything Can Happen Day. Group choice for route... Usually easy??
 
Please note the new start time: 8:30AM !
 
Cheers,
Steve

Thanks to all who showed up for today's Del Mar Breeze ride to the coast, namely: Beth & Bob (welcome back), Mary Ann, Matt, and me.  Of course we played fast-and-loose with the route and made it longer and hillier: outbound on San Dieguito and then inbound on the Del Dios. But it was great riding all the same, with cool temps along the coast and nice tailwinds coming home. And a coffee stop at Caffe Positano in Rancho Santa Fe ensured we were energized for that Del Dios climb.
  
Next week we wrap up the month of May with a fifth ride...
Lilac-n-Back
Date: Tuesday May 29, 2012
Time: 9:00am
Out to Valley Center and Lilac, riding Old Castle to Old 395, and returning through Jesmond Dene and Escondido.
   
Heads-up... in June we will be starting the Tuesday Ride at 8:30am.
  
Lastly, why not go for some Extra Credit on Thursday (5/24)?
Palomar Mountain Tour
Clip-in Time: 9:00am
Start Location: Sunset Drive Parking Lot
  
Cheers,
Steve

Nice riding conditions today for Jerry, Mike, and me.  We had an interesting start when Jerry decided flatting a bike tire was too mundane and showed us his car tire technique instead. But we got rolling quickly and had an easy go of it northbound. 
  
I guess we didn't notice the tailwind as we headed up to Rainbow along Old 395. But we sure noticed the wind on the way back. It was probably for the best, since it provided some cooling effect.
  
Congrats to Mike for finishing his longest ride since moving to SoCal.
  
Cheers,
Steve

Good turnout for today's riding of the Highland Valley Loop: Mike, Jerry, Mary Ann, Matt, Les, and me. Only half-credit for MA who had to bail-out at Scripps Poway Parkway by shooting down Sycamore Canyon Road.  Matt gets extra credit for riding off the front up Mount Woodson. The rest of us got to enjoy rolling through the grasslands and the twisty descents on Highland Valley Road.
 
Only one mechanical today.. not wanting to make the ride too easy, I didn't discover that my rear brake was dragging on the rim until halfway through the loop!  A stop at Starbucks in Rancho Bernardo was the topper for the ride. We were lucky and snagged a table with an umbrella... that sun felt a lot warmer when not rolling on the bike. 
 
Anticipating some sunny weather next week, we escape to the coast...
Del Mar Breeze
Date: Tuesday May 22, 2012
Time: 9:00am
 
This Thursday, 5/17, another long-distance (60-ish miles) Extra Credit Ride is in the works: we'll cycle to Rainbow and back along Old 395. Clip-in time is 9:00AM, start location is the parking lot at the end of Sunset Drive (north side of Lake Hodges.)  This is and out-n-back course, so feel free to start out with us and ride to any turnaround point that suits you, if Rainbow seems to far.
 
Cheers,
Steve 

An enjoyable 200km ride today with Les. We managed to get to the halfway point in 4h35m, thanks to a nice tailwind. Unfortunately, we also had to work against the wind on the way home.
 
Weather at the coast was mostly cloudy although it was sunny just a mile or two inland. Overall ride time was 10h21m, not too bad as I required us to make an unplanned stop at the Golden Donut shop in San Marcos!
 
Cheers,
Steve

We were supposed to head up Highland Valley Road today for the Old Milk Run route, but an aversion to the steepness of the climb led us to take a kinder and gentler path - out to Jesmond Dene and back.  At least we (Matt, Mike, and me) made it those shady groves this week.  We kicked around the idea of a longer ride today, but had to scale back due to a couple of slowdowns: first a flat tire and later a broken spoke.  Oh well, that's cycling too.   
 
Next week, a classic route...
Highland Valley Loop
Date: Tuesday May 15, 2012
Time: 9:00am
Scenic riding on Highland Valley Road, with plenty of hills.
 
This Thursday, 5/10, a long-distance Extra Credit Ride is in the works, route details are here. Let me know if you want to ride all or part. Clip-in time is 7:00AM and the pace will not allow for slacking. Full ride will take about 10 hours to complete.
 
Cheers,
Steve