July 16 - Lompoc to Carpinteria = 66 miles / 106 km
July 17 - Carpinteria to Topanga Creek Bikes = 76 miles / 123 km
July 18-19 - Rest in Hollywood
July 20 - Drive LA to Las Vegas
PHOTOS ON PICASA
Oops, I guess it's about time I update the blog! I've been lazy lately, I was resting in hot hot LA. When I left Lompoc on the 16th, I was expecting a tough ride all the way to Los Angeles. It turned out to be extremely enjoyable. The stretch from Goleta to Santa Barbara to Carpinteria to Ventura features a very nice bike route that goes through these beautiful little towns. I had a little crush on Ventura - just liked the laidback vibe and the 60 year old men driving with a surf board tied on the top of their beat up car. If anyone has a contact at Patagonia, I would not mind working there ;)! (they're located in Ventura) After leaving Ventura, I was glad I had the GPS because the trail was not marked anymore and some navigation was required. Then, the craziness started when I arrived in Malibu. Oooh my.. Crazy traffic, crazy people, car doors opening suddenly in front of me, I felt like I was in a video game and I needed to avoid all those obstacles. I reached the bottom of Topanga Canyon road at around 4PM and I needed to climb because I had an appointment at Topanga Creek Bicycles for the Tank (this bike is like a baby! It requires so much care!). The effort was well rewarded as Topanga Creek Bikes turned out to be the best bike shop e-v-e-r. After a warm welcome, Chris gave me a tour of the shop (they carry the Surly brand and I was excited to see so many Tank’s little brothers and sisters, all lined up on the floor, ready to see the world) while Scott was checking out my bike. I ended up eating freshly baked chocolate cake and just chilling on the patio when my friend Nicolas showed up to pick me up. The Tank was fixed and tuned on the fly and ready to go for another 3000 miles! Yay! The rest of the weekend was spent in Hollywood, just resting, trail running a little bit to loosen up the legs and drinking cheap beers under the sun. On Monday morning, I was back on the bike and rode the 8 miles to Avis in Culver City. I needed a car to cross the desert and go to Veeeeegas! Riding a bicycle in LA-where-nobody-ever-rides-a-bicycle was a bit challenging but fun!
July 17 - Carpinteria to Topanga Creek Bikes = 76 miles / 123 km
July 18-19 - Rest in Hollywood
July 20 - Drive LA to Las Vegas
PHOTOS ON PICASA
Oops, I guess it's about time I update the blog! I've been lazy lately, I was resting in hot hot LA. When I left Lompoc on the 16th, I was expecting a tough ride all the way to Los Angeles. It turned out to be extremely enjoyable. The stretch from Goleta to Santa Barbara to Carpinteria to Ventura features a very nice bike route that goes through these beautiful little towns. I had a little crush on Ventura - just liked the laidback vibe and the 60 year old men driving with a surf board tied on the top of their beat up car. If anyone has a contact at Patagonia, I would not mind working there ;)! (they're located in Ventura) After leaving Ventura, I was glad I had the GPS because the trail was not marked anymore and some navigation was required. Then, the craziness started when I arrived in Malibu. Oooh my.. Crazy traffic, crazy people, car doors opening suddenly in front of me, I felt like I was in a video game and I needed to avoid all those obstacles. I reached the bottom of Topanga Canyon road at around 4PM and I needed to climb because I had an appointment at Topanga Creek Bicycles for the Tank (this bike is like a baby! It requires so much care!). The effort was well rewarded as Topanga Creek Bikes turned out to be the best bike shop e-v-e-r. After a warm welcome, Chris gave me a tour of the shop (they carry the Surly brand and I was excited to see so many Tank’s little brothers and sisters, all lined up on the floor, ready to see the world) while Scott was checking out my bike. I ended up eating freshly baked chocolate cake and just chilling on the patio when my friend Nicolas showed up to pick me up. The Tank was fixed and tuned on the fly and ready to go for another 3000 miles! Yay! The rest of the weekend was spent in Hollywood, just resting, trail running a little bit to loosen up the legs and drinking cheap beers under the sun. On Monday morning, I was back on the bike and rode the 8 miles to Avis in Culver City. I needed a car to cross the desert and go to Veeeeegas! Riding a bicycle in LA-where-nobody-ever-rides-a-bicycle was a bit challenging but fun!
Oops, il est grand temps que je mette le blogue à jour!! J'ai été paresseuse dernièrement, je me reposais à Los Angeles (et il faisait chaud, chaud, chaud!). Lorsque j'ai quitté Lompoc le matin du 16 juillet, je m'attendais à deux journées difficiles jusqu'à LA. Ce fut tout le contraire, la route était vraiment très agréable. La section de Goleta à Santa Barbara à Carpinteria à Ventura était formidable. La Pacific Coast trail est bien marquée et passe par de belles pistes cyclables qui font découvrir les petites villes citées plus haut. J'ai eu un faible pour Ventura... j'ai adoré le "vibe" et surtout les hommes de 60 ans qui se baladent avec leur planche de surf sur leur vieille voiture. Si jamais quelqu'un a un contact chez Patagonia (localisé à Ventura), je suis prête à y travailler demain matin!! En sortant de Ventura, la route requiert un peu plus de navigation alors le GPS fut très, très utile. Finalement, la folie furieuse a débuté lorsque j'ai franchi la frontière de Malibu.. Ooouf.. Du trafic de fou, des gens cinglés, des portes de voiture qui s'ouvrent soudainement juste devant moi; je me sentais comme dans un jeu vidéo où je dois éviter des centaines d'obstacles. Je suis arrivée au pied de la montée de Topanga Canyon Road vers 16h00. Je devais grimper puisque j'avais un rendez-vous à Topanga Creek Bicycles pour le Tank. Mais les efforts furent récompensés puisque c'est probablement la meilleure boutique de vélos que j'aie jamais visitée. J'ai été chaudement accueillie par Chris et Scott et ai eu droit à une visite complète de l'établissement. J'étais presqu'émue lorsque j'ai vu tous les petits frères et soeurs du Tank - tous alignés sur le plancher, prêts à découvrir le monde (Surly est la principale marque que cette boutique tient en inventaire). Avant que je me rende compte ce qu'il se passait, j'étais assise sur la terrasse avec un morceau de gâteau au chocolat et un soda à l'orange pendant que Scott exerçait sa magie sur le Tank. Mon ami Nicolas est venu me rejoindre peu après et il a eu droit au même traitement. Elle est géniale cette boutique! Bref, le Tank s'est fait traiter au petits oignons et était prêt pour un autre 5000 km. Le reste du weekend s'est déroulé à Hollywood, à relaxer, jogger un peu dans Runyon Canyon pour dégourdir les jambes et à boire quelques bières froides sur le bord de la piscine. Lundi matin - de retour en route - je n'ai roulé qu'un quinzaine de km pour me rendre au Avis mais ce fut tout un défi. Los Angeles n'est pas une ville particulièrement cyclable.. Bref, j'avais ma voiture pour traverser le désert jusqu'à... Veeegas!
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