Tom Nelson – ALC 2024 Blog

Ate at Duckie-s Chowder in Cayucos. (Big bowl of New England Clam Chowder plus a hamburger….next time ask for milk). Took along Cuesta College lunch bag (mile 49.5), and ate it at rest stop #3, the  PG&E Comm Center (mile 61.2). Worked great.

Climbed Quadbuster, saw sunny view of the coastline from Half Way to LA, sunny sky the entire descent to Cambria.

Right knee had little strength and was tired of the Rollers miles: mile 6.7 through mile 98 at the end of the day. Good news: No bad wind at Guadalupe, and no bunching up or riders (no crowded feeling). That night I was too tired and it was too late to assemble my Red Dress Day 5 helmet…Will do  that the morning of Day 5.

Total miles traveled 355.0 (65.5% of total route)

Dis 98.3 mi,  Av 13.7 mph, Tm 7 hr 10 min, Oat 10 hr 15 min.

Lunch 1 at Duckies’s Chowder, Cayucos, CA

I appreciated Santa Cruz’s  new bicycle paths, and moving out of the city a little faster. I skipped Salinas’s bad lunch stop food and ate at the Artichoke Wagon (mile 47.7) . The Artichoke Muffin and pork burrito were good. Later went inside the Mission La Soledad  (mile 81.3).   I also saw the Cookie Lady, in the tent area.

Total miles traveled 190 (35.2% of total route)

Dis 110.0 mi, Av 15.0 mph, Tm 7 hr 18 min, Oat 12 hr 20 min.

Right knee pain 1.0/10.0 for last quarter of the ride; a long day, skipped evening shower.

Altar women place memorial altar cloths………..you can go up to and touch…..

Ashe and I drove up to check in for this year’s ride. Load Volvo at Monterey St. 6:30 to 6:45am. No roof rack, Giant inside with (1) beach towel & (1) sheet. Drove non-stop SB to Daly City in 5 hours and 30 minutes, 6:45 to 12:15. Arrive at Chipolte-Daly-City for lunch 12:15 to 1:00pm. Check in with debit card at Alpine Inn high parking lot. Walk Giant (E-ticket, CDL ID) to Cow Palace . Bike drop, Safety Video, Orientation check in and tent chip. Finish Cow Palace at 3:30pm. Get Alpine Inn keys, unload Volvo, and drive to E-bike shop 3:30 to 4:00pm. Try E-bike, eat at Joe’s Cable Car Burger, buy Starbuck’s LCT Turkey Muffins and O.J. (Best to have already bought these in SB) , back to Alpine Inn, 4:00 to 6:45pm. Set out Day 1 kit, tote, inflate Aero-bed, routine (Best to be done and lights out at 7:00pm) 6:45 to 8:45pm.

Casey of Team Ventura, puts back together shipped bicycles, outside the Cow Palace bike drop-off.

Handing over the Giant to Cow Palace overnight parking….where it waits for the starting Ride Out tomorrow early morning.

Tom and Ashe as Evil Twins: a nickname for two challenging back-to-back hills.

Arrange tent mates ahead of time, or its potluck.

Cannondale sponsored pro-cyclist Peter Sagan at the green Cannondale tent.

Jill M and Kathy V invited me along on the Gibby Loop (up Gibraltar, across Camino Cielo, down Painted Cave & San Marcos).

Dis 47.2 mi, Av 9.9 mph, Mx 34.6 mph, Tm 4 hr 46 min, Oat 7 hr 15 min ( includes stopping and visiting Starbucks and Whelan)

Kathy takes a water break while Jill says something important….

Leftover Halloween graffiti-art on the ‘underground-missile-silo’

Rode solo Mountain Drive & counter-clockwise around Gobernador Canyon Rd. Then at the county line saw Team Ventura. We all met up in Carpinteria at The Coffee Bean where I met four ALC12 riders based out of SB.

Dis 48.7 mi, Av 10.9 mph, Mx 26.9 mph, Tm 4 hr 26 min, Oat 7 hr 40 min (includes food stop at Carp and lunch stop at Stacky’s Summerland, and S.Y. stop where my rear tire went flat….but got me home)

Running water in the creek at Gobernador Canyon Rd and Hwy 150, on the county line.

Tom and long time ALC trainer/rider/mechanic & founding member of Team Ventura, Casey.

Trainer/mgr/road-support/rider/handler Ashe C. & Tom.

Carol P. & Tom.