Day 5 ..keep it simple

Today was about energy conservation. The roads we took out were busy and dangerous. We hugged the road in tight groups of five or six, trucks and camper vans screaming by us in relentless succession. Things picked up as we did some off-roading. We deflated our tires and hit a 2-mile stretch of gravel that resulted in about 4 punctures. Lunch was in the bland environs of a Panera. Not the most characterful place but it did the job. We were merely in transit.

 The hills of the day was Stagecoach. Dan and I climbed it together, taking the road slowly and enjoying the beauty of the climb. As is customary there was a mini-party at the top of the hill, with Lali and Crystal appearing as a Pineapple and a flamingo respectively.

The Pineapple wins on Stagecoach

  I listened to my body and kept it simple as we headed back towards the coast. The afternoon held more surprises as my chain fell off and I followed the wrong set of arrows that lead to an empty car park. I stood around for about 5 minutes and soon realized no one else was coming. I re-traced my steps and thankfully ran into a group of Flies. Eventually we hit the coastal bike path and a rider called Jason and I pushed hard with a great tail wind, heading to the Marriot by the sea.

Ventura Sunset

The hot-tub there became a horrible soup of Fireflies, drinking beer and telling bad jokes. The feeling of getting close to the end was in the air. That night was had the customary meal where riders can tell their stories. Rani made a very moving speech that I am still trying to decipher. I think it was a generally positive message though. This is a great group of people.