October's my favorite month here in coastal north San Diego County — shirt-sleeve temperatures, gentle breezes, few clouds, and crystal-clear air with razor-sharp horizons. Below are typical October scenes from coast rides in the last 5 days.
From yesterday, looking south, then north from the high bluff above Swami's Beach — among surfers, a world-class reef break.
From the day before, looking south, then north from the bluff above South Carlsbad State Beach.
Same bluff, 2 days earlier. Sat in the closest chair and communed with the Pacific a good half-hour that day before getting back on the Coast Highway.
And from the day before that, looking south, then north at North Ponto Beach. Beach goers are mostly locals this time of year. Surf and sand on a glorious October day — doesn't get much better than that!
Relished these sunny coast rides all the more after the preceeding 2 weeks of unrelenting gloom, with totally unseasonal low cloud decks, haze, and fog hiding the ocean the whole time. This was the doing of a soupy marine air layer pulled onshore by a persistent heatwave affecting much of the US Southwest at the time, eastern SoCal included.
Vado SL assist on the last 2 coast rides ran about 80% OFF, 10% ECO, and 10% SPORT — the last mainly for traffic and some short, steep hills. As other SL members keep saying, the bike's a pleasure with the motor off in this kind of rolling terrain. And that makes its small 320 Wh battery much less an issue.
