Today was a pretty easy day. We got up at 6:00, had breakfast at 6:30, loaded our luggage at 7:30 and then we were on our way. Dave, Bruce my roommate and I headed out. we had a few miles to get warmed up and then started to climb for a few miles. After that climb, then we had 50 miles of pretty flat riding. We had to lift our bikes over a fence and crawl under ourselves at one point. This is a road that has been closed to vehicular traffic. It was fun! A lot of laughs!
We were riding through California farmland with a really nice tailwind. I didn't appreciate what a nice tailwind it was until I tried to go back to help Dave with his flat tire. The whole story is we had stopped at a freshly picked Strawberry stand. By that time there were four of us, me, Dave, and a father son team, Jay and Brad. The strawberries were delicious and we ate two boxes of them. Jay and I started out ahead of Brad and Dave. After a while we realized that Dave and Brad had stopped. We waited for awhile and then a rider came by and said Dave had a flat. We waited some more and then I said I was going to go back and see if I could help. I turned around and started back into what was now a very strong headwind. I turned around again and went back to Jay and said they have enough help with Brad and by now a few others had stopped. I thought I rationalized that one pretty good!
We continued to wait and then my roommate Bruce showed up. He had fallen behind us. I noticed that his knee was skinned and I asked him if he had fallen. He said he had that it was stupid and that was why he fell behind. he got caught at a light and was going pretty slow and caught a wheel in crack and fell. I asked him if the bike was OK and he said the handlebars were a little crooked. Sean, our bike mechanic came riding up and said he had heard that Bruce's handlebars were crooked and he said he would fix them. Bruce then said that were also cracked. He then wiggled the handlebars and they move at least six inches! A little more than cracked. Sean wouldn't let him ride anymore at that point and the van picked him up to go into town to get a new handlebar. Dave and Brad came riding up at that point and we continued on. I told Dave that he didn't set any records for fixing a flat tire.
We were riding along at one point with Zero who is the rider that the film crew was following. The film crew came up besides us with the cameraman sticking out of the top of the Jeep they are driving to film. I was in front so I told Dave that I was going to sprint to give them something to film. I jumped out and was up to about 25 mph when I heard Dave yell "you missed the turn". I had to turn around and go back. Zero then was in front and sprinted out. Dave said to go after him, pass him and embarrass him in front of the film crew. Fat chance, I was all used up!
We went through the University of California Davis campus in Davis. We had lunch at the In and Out Burger place, my first experience. Not bad but not up to it's hype.
We got into Sacramento around 3:45. All in all, a pretty good day!
70.6 miles, 1688' total elevation, max elevation 435'
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