Tom Nelson – ALC 2024 Blog

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.

Dis 63.3 miles, Av 15.3 mph, Mx –, Tm 4 hr 7 min, Oat 5 hr 15 min, Lv Ven 6:45AM, Arv LA 12:45, 45min stop at Brentwood Starbucks at San Vicente & 26th St.

The Chicken Lady left one of these on each of the 2400 bicycle saddles, this morning.

Here’s what’s inside….

This screed hung alongside closing ceremonies.