stompandgo
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Heal up quick, Stefan.
2025 - Our Rides in Words, Photos, Maps and Videos
- Thread starter Saratoga Dave
- Start date
Mulezen
Well-Known Member
Perhaps clarification is unnecessary but...I had met a few parishioners (a deacon) over the years during quick stops...but times had changed, and not for the better in America when I had my encounter with the militant young woman. As I recall my shooing away happened soon after the infamous Dylan Roof mass shooting in South Carolina and the candlelit white power parade in nearby Charlottsville. So there's that.
Jeremy McCreary
Bought it anyway
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Sad. We seem to be in a time when a lot people aren't just giving in to but embracing a deep-seated and dangerous human flaw — the us-them mentality, which in full form includes the notion that it really doesn't matter what happens to them.
Not just in the US. Us-them is growing everywhere, and adherents are gaining significant political power in many places — often with the full blessing of major organized religions.
The future's looking more like 1930s Europe everyday.
Not just in the US. Us-them is growing everywhere, and adherents are gaining significant political power in many places — often with the full blessing of major organized religions.
The future's looking more like 1930s Europe everyday.
Last edited:
gromike
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- City of Dreams
Yeah, we know where that went.
Last edited:
Keep your hopes up. The Golden Ballroom Presidency looks to be crumbling a bit. There seems to be the whiff of reality in the air all of a sudden, maybe it'll lead to real change next November.
Mulezen
Well-Known Member
“The Golden Ballroom” as brought to you by an alphabet of Fortune 500 overlords. I would hope someone in 2028 runs on knocking that monstrosity down while simultaneously throwing America a party across Pennsylvania Ave. in Lafayette Park.
@Rás Cnoic as some here noted a month back in my ‘find the hawk’ picture I grow (legally…now) some Cannabis each year. One plant was particularly potent…I called it ‘Green Craic’ thanks to your explanation sometime back. I actually put labels on the mason jars I presented to my citified friends. Told me I spelled Craic wrong until they smoked it.
@Rás Cnoic as some here noted a month back in my ‘find the hawk’ picture I grow (legally…now) some Cannabis each year. One plant was particularly potent…I called it ‘Green Craic’ thanks to your explanation sometime back. I actually put labels on the mason jars I presented to my citified friends. Told me I spelled Craic wrong until they smoked it.
John Bowman
Member
- Region
- USA
Surf Beach, CA. Santa Barbara County.
23.7 mph average over 16.6 miles.
23.7 mph average over 16.6 miles.
Last edited:
Twin Valley
Well-Known Member
your picture certainly caught my attention, recumbent bike of sorts - I think my achy back would approve, 23 mph average - you were really motoring on that bike, the dog walker and the old dog in background were also impressed
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
That jacket..cycle club rocket team
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
I have been very disturbed by the online celebrating and revelling in the filmed deaths of soldiers in the Ukraine war.
Literally human beings, sons and fathers being ended by high and low tech weapons of human carnage, struggling for their lives.
Hundreds of thousands of lifetimes ended in terror and despair while being mocked for being conscripted into the 'wrong' side.
Letters recieved by grieving families, orphaned kids, all neatly tucked into that place we call denial for self preservation.
I dont see the point of us sometimes.
Watana Bob
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Could not have said it better myself Chris. All power-hungry dictators should be banished to another planet- Elon can you help us achieve this please.
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
In my local at 1am, murphys tavern, a few drinks slightly merry., very quiet, the christrmas incoming lull
Twin Valley
Well-Known Member
nice! and is the Levo out the door to navigate home? actually where are the dart boards?
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
Trendy bar, no darts or dominoes
Mulezen
Well-Known Member
I jumpstarted riding this morning with the Mexicans out front digging in the last bit of fiber-optic for my new super duper Internet. Yahoo...bet they don't have this contraption in GB or Europe. A day off made a difference in my bad leg...still I have to push when the weather is reasonable. The picture is from Dabney distinguished only by a sign.
stompandgo
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Can you bring Yahtzee?
Chargeride
Well-Known Member
No only kerplunk
Jeremy McCreary
Bought it anyway
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Home now from the latest foray in our ongoing Know Your (SoCal) Coast Program: 4 nights on Carpinteria State Beach ~15 mi east of Santa Barbara. Many thanks to @Extreme1 for valuable intel on this part of the coast.
The 2-wheeled part
Had 2 days of rain from our 1st big Pacific storm of the season, then got 2 clear but cool days before the next storm. Spent the 1st of them exploring the beach and bluffs at Carpinteria (see below) with the dog.
The 2nd clear day went to a fun and scenic 32-mile ebike ride with the missus from Ventura to Ojai and back on rented Gazelles. Nearly all of it was on the paved and well-protected Ventura River Parkway Trail (aka Ventura River-Ojai Bicycle Trail) from West Park in Ventura to a few blocks short of downtown Ojai. This GPS recording started 3 mi into the ride.
The Gazelle Medeo T9 mid-drives we rented in Ventura were well-suited to this ride. Mine turned out to need some serious drivetrain adjustment, but it got me there and back.
The coastal Santa Ynez Mountains here are quite steep and rugged, but this 16-mile trail through the foothills never exceeded 4%. The up-and-back added 33% to K's longest ride to date. She's become a much more confident rider since getting her Velotric Breeze 6 months ago.
Saw more of the Ventura Valley than the river itself. This is a highly productive agricultural area with little development otherwise.
Rare glimpse of the river from the trail, here with flowing surface water after the last storm. The Ventura delivers lots of water to the coast, but for most of the year, it's in the form of ground water flowing through its wide and thick gravely bed.
Poked around Ojai's main street a bit at the top of the trail, then had some truly exceptional Wagu burgers and tater tots at Topa Topa. @Extreme1 said that's where he and his wife go after rides, and now I know why.
The pleasant return descent to Ventura was easy, but as @Extreme1 predicted, we often found ourselves pedaling a little against the building up-valley breeze.
Highlights from the rest of the Carpinteria trip
This northern part of the SoCal coast faces, not west, but south onto the east-west Santa Barbara Channel, with the northern Channel Islands on the other side. Carpinteria is a little less than halfway from Santa Barbara to Ventura.
Oil rigs after the black gold beneath the channel marr the spectacular view from Carpinteria, but you learn to ignore them.
On this stretch of coast, renting an RV trailer at Carpinteria State Beach is the only dog-friendly way to stay near the water, as our Know Your Coast Program requires. For 4 days, the beach was our backyard.
And despite the unsettled weather, we got 4 beautiful sunsets from that backyard. Here are some samples.
Every sunset was an excuse to pour a drink, grab some snacks, bundle up, light the portable fire ring, plop down on a comfy camp chair on the sand, and watch night take over the sky across the dancing waves.
LA's La Brea isn't the only place in oil-rich SoCal with active tar seeps. Seeping tar blackens sea cliff faces in several places along this part of the coast.
Once free from the bluffs, the thick tar creeps toward the water, picking up sand, shells, pebbles, and cobbles as it goes. The resulting mixture is asphaltum, the natural form of asphalt.
Asphaltum makes up all the beach and offshore rocks seen in this post. Had to watch our steps on the warmest afternoon, as some of the asphaltum surfaces had started to melt in the direct sun!
Every late afternoon, gulls (right) gathered on the wet sand in great numbers, all facing in the same direction — this time east. The day before, they all faced south. Go figure.
This time a large group of smaller brown shore birds joined them, all facing south. Above, a pelican coming in on final approach to join the party.
Just east of the state park was a service pier for the rigs out in the Channel. A steady stream of OSVs (offshore service vessels) carried personnel, materials, and supplies back and forth.
Right next to the pier was a seal sanctuary. Harbor seals were sunning behind the sheltering asphaltum reef. Saw 6 different kinds of shore birds hanging out there, too.
Sayonara, suckers! Headed home here in the southbound I-405 express lane, flying past a long line of stopped cars on the right. Express lanes aren't always worth the toll, but this one paid off big time!
Used up all our good luck for the next year on the traffic coming home. Smooth sailing all the way through the LA basin, and astoundingly, not even a slowdown coming into Oceanside. That never happens!
The 2-wheeled part
Had 2 days of rain from our 1st big Pacific storm of the season, then got 2 clear but cool days before the next storm. Spent the 1st of them exploring the beach and bluffs at Carpinteria (see below) with the dog.
The 2nd clear day went to a fun and scenic 32-mile ebike ride with the missus from Ventura to Ojai and back on rented Gazelles. Nearly all of it was on the paved and well-protected Ventura River Parkway Trail (aka Ventura River-Ojai Bicycle Trail) from West Park in Ventura to a few blocks short of downtown Ojai. This GPS recording started 3 mi into the ride.
The Gazelle Medeo T9 mid-drives we rented in Ventura were well-suited to this ride. Mine turned out to need some serious drivetrain adjustment, but it got me there and back.
The coastal Santa Ynez Mountains here are quite steep and rugged, but this 16-mile trail through the foothills never exceeded 4%. The up-and-back added 33% to K's longest ride to date. She's become a much more confident rider since getting her Velotric Breeze 6 months ago.
Saw more of the Ventura Valley than the river itself. This is a highly productive agricultural area with little development otherwise.
Rare glimpse of the river from the trail, here with flowing surface water after the last storm. The Ventura delivers lots of water to the coast, but for most of the year, it's in the form of ground water flowing through its wide and thick gravely bed.
Poked around Ojai's main street a bit at the top of the trail, then had some truly exceptional Wagu burgers and tater tots at Topa Topa. @Extreme1 said that's where he and his wife go after rides, and now I know why.
The pleasant return descent to Ventura was easy, but as @Extreme1 predicted, we often found ourselves pedaling a little against the building up-valley breeze.
Highlights from the rest of the Carpinteria trip
This northern part of the SoCal coast faces, not west, but south onto the east-west Santa Barbara Channel, with the northern Channel Islands on the other side. Carpinteria is a little less than halfway from Santa Barbara to Ventura.
Oil rigs after the black gold beneath the channel marr the spectacular view from Carpinteria, but you learn to ignore them.
On this stretch of coast, renting an RV trailer at Carpinteria State Beach is the only dog-friendly way to stay near the water, as our Know Your Coast Program requires. For 4 days, the beach was our backyard.
And despite the unsettled weather, we got 4 beautiful sunsets from that backyard. Here are some samples.
Every sunset was an excuse to pour a drink, grab some snacks, bundle up, light the portable fire ring, plop down on a comfy camp chair on the sand, and watch night take over the sky across the dancing waves.
LA's La Brea isn't the only place in oil-rich SoCal with active tar seeps. Seeping tar blackens sea cliff faces in several places along this part of the coast.
Once free from the bluffs, the thick tar creeps toward the water, picking up sand, shells, pebbles, and cobbles as it goes. The resulting mixture is asphaltum, the natural form of asphalt.
Every late afternoon, gulls (right) gathered on the wet sand in great numbers, all facing in the same direction — this time east. The day before, they all faced south. Go figure.
This time a large group of smaller brown shore birds joined them, all facing south. Above, a pelican coming in on final approach to join the party.
Just east of the state park was a service pier for the rigs out in the Channel. A steady stream of OSVs (offshore service vessels) carried personnel, materials, and supplies back and forth.
Right next to the pier was a seal sanctuary. Harbor seals were sunning behind the sheltering asphaltum reef. Saw 6 different kinds of shore birds hanging out there, too.
Sayonara, suckers! Headed home here in the southbound I-405 express lane, flying past a long line of stopped cars on the right. Express lanes aren't always worth the toll, but this one paid off big time!
Used up all our good luck for the next year on the traffic coming home. Smooth sailing all the way through the LA basin, and astoundingly, not even a slowdown coming into Oceanside. That never happens!
Attachments
Last edited:
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
Lovely, Jeremy! Your wife certainly felt alright on a mid-drive?
Jeremy McCreary
Bought it anyway
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Yes, she and the Gazelle got on just fine. Both of us would have preferred our own bikes, but there was no safe place to keep them overnight.
If we'd had another clear day, we would have ridden the coast on the paved MUP between Ventura and Santa Barbara. The latter's still on our Know Your Coast to-do list, so we have something to look forward to.
Previous Know Your Coast posts from Oceanside and Dana Point.
CORRECTION: Found a few photos from the combined Huntington Beach and Mandalay Beach (Oxnard) trip here.
Last edited:
