The morning routine starts off with donning our cycling gear, packing up the tent, taking our gear to the truck, breakfast, and then to bike parking, where we get our route slips, pump up the tires, and fill water bottles. Oh, and apply the very important Chamois Butter.
The Day 4 route is 98 miles and the toughest day of the trip. It heads west on Hwy 46 over two long, but not very steep, climbs know affectionately as the Evil Twins. At the top of the second Twin is a lookout, and the halfway point to LA. Most people stop here for a photo, holding their bikes over their heads, with the expanse of the Pacific in the background. Unfortunately, the fog was in, so Bruce and I decided to forego the photo op and continue on.
The downhill from the lookout is the real highlight of this route. It's about 6 miles of downhill bliss, with smooth pavement and gentle bends. At the bottom is US 1, which we follow through Morrow Bay, San Louis Obispo, and Pismo Beach before heading back eastward to Santa Maria.
There's a coffee shop in the little town of Cayucos that has become a favorite stop for many riders. When Bruce and I arrived, almost every available sign, tree and curb had a bike on it. While heading for a vacant pole, I accidently bumped a bike wheel, that started a chain reaction, sending 3 other bikes to the pavement. I was mortified. A very nice woman named Joanna came to my rescue, and helped me set all the bikes back up. No one was mad. The people whose bikes I knocked down just shrugged and said "don't worry, accidents happen." That's normal for this group. It would be a wonderful world if everyone got along as well and were as kind to each other as they are on this ride.
Here's the GPS track for day 4.
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