Mark's Bicycle Treks for ALA: Ride The West - Day 18 - King City, CA to Paso Robles, CA

Mike Munk says that everyone who rides with ABB should spend one day in the van to get a true appreciation of what the crew sees and deals with. Today was my day. I had a really rough night coughing and got very little sleep. I decided my body needed a day off to enable me to ride the remaining days of our trip. Mike was right ... not riding provided me a totally different perspective. It also provided me some rest and a little recovery time. I hope to be back on the bike tomorrow.

Quarantined in Barb's Van

Joe and Jeff Trying To Avoid The Plague (AKA Me) At Load

From the start of luggage load to the arrival in Paso Robles my focus was not on the route, the road, the hills, or the passing cars. It was not on the vistas or the scenery either. It was about the luggage, the bikes, the riders, the logistics, the SAGs, and most importantly, accounting for everyone on the road.

Mike Loads My Bike On The Van

Seems Susan's Bag Was A Tad Over Weight This Morning

Crew View ... Has Everyone Checked In and Loaded?

Jim Almost Locked Mike in the Trailer

I spent the first 40 miles in the mechanics van with Jim. Approaching each rider or group was so different high up in the van. It provided a unique view of each rider's style and proximity to the shoulder. We would periodically stop and double back to make sure we knew where some of the folks at the back of the pack were. It gave us more time to chat about past rides, current events, and future plans. At the first SAG, Jim dropped me off and went back to help Char with her derailleur. At the SAG, I was not focused on replenishing myself, but on how the others were doing and what the day had been like. I missed a few tough climbs out of the fog and some ranches and scruffy golden hills.

Jim Helps CD and Phylis With A Flat

More Time For Better Pictures ... Jeff On The First Climb

Toronto Mark

Mark Would Miss The Right Out Of The SAG

Tracey Pulling Into The First SAG

From the SAG, it was a quick 17 miles to the only store for miles around. The Bee Rock Store (for sale if you are interested) is a seasonal establishment that gets a lot of boaters and fishermen from the local lakes. Jim dropped me off and headed back down the road. I was the official greeter for for the riders and hung out until Barb arrived in other van. As there were other folks in the van (Shirley - sore knee; Leticia - sore shoulder; and Susan - sore tushy), I donned a mask to keep from passing any unwanted germs. As displayed in the picture at the start of the BLOG, I was quite the sight for sore eyes. It would get lots of good laughs upon arrival in Paso Robbles.

Only Spot For Miles Around ...

A Slight Miscalculation By A Local Fisherman

Our Happy Leaders

The final 20 miles in the van were a blur to me ... I caught a few Z's. Here are few shots of the scenery we passed. Again, on the bike, I would have looked intensely at my surroundings and paid attention to each undulation in the road ... in the van, it was just a quick drive.

Top of One The Climbs

Lake Nacimiento

We got in to the hotel nice and early and I immediately grabbed a nap. Joe did the same and Jeff and I had some fun with him. Tonight we had our T-shirt swap. I was pretty risque and took the shirt from Barb. I ended up with Joe's 6 Gap shirt. Tonight's pig moment is brought to you by Mose. He is a strong rider who has an affection for whiners (his local club). Pig is obviously an honorary member. I hope to ride the long and hilly 84 miles into Santa Maria tomorrow ... let's see how the evening goes and how I feel in the morning.