Distance, elevation: 51 mi, +1529/-1480 ft.
Detailed route.
These are instructions for cars, but you can ride on the shoulder. Google Maps really doesn't want to route cyclists onto 101 so we became "cars" for a day. Use your own judgement.
What route is shown in the embedded map above may depend on Google's mood. So here are snapshots of the route we took: Google Maps, PDF
7 am. Up. Hotel neighbors started shouting loudly outside our door at 6 am, so I guess technically we were up before 7. Hotel breakfast. Had some coffee. Second coffee in room.
“On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair~”
“Car rides to Malibu, strawberry iiiiice cream~”
9:30 am. Pump tires a bit.
10 am. Fill water at Burger King. Have it your way. AI drivethru named Patty and habla espanol. Nice nombre.
10:30 am. Grocery Outlet. Get some Indian curry packets for lunch on the road. Adjust J’s rear rack clamp.
11 am. We’re off. Highway 1 out of Lompoc. Moderate climbs. Between the intervals delimited by harried cars, the quiet awe of nature. In one moment, a felled deer, the stench of carrion, a feasting flock of vultures. In another, the breeze billowing through shirt, the warmth of sun on skin.
“They say I drive too fast, move too fast, live too fast, ain’t no such thing as too fast. Living at the speed of light, like a bullet. I could be dead by tomorrow~”
12:40 pm. Merge onto 101 south. Feels a bit naughty. Greeted by a glide on blacktop. There’s a big orange sign with a bike and “share the road”. There’s a rumble strip between the right lane and shoulder. There are two lanes and a shoulder wide enough for a third. The only bad part is that cars go 55-65 and there are some big trucks. Overall, despite Google Maps refusing to route us onto this road, it is really pretty ok. A strategy to avoid merging into traffic is to take every ramp off and then back on. Brilliant. Credit goes to J for keeping us safe.
1 pm. First glimpse of the ocean.
1:55 pm. Lunch break at Refugio Beach State Park. Lentil pumpkin tikka masala, tortillas, baguette and Asiago, jerky, trail mix. A multicultural meal. Yesterday J wondered whether it is safe to listen to music while biking, which we both think not. Today’s mind has been going through its own playlist. So I guess one safe way to listen to music is to make your own.
“You can travel the world, but nothing comes close to the golden coast ~”
3:25 pm. Off to Santa Barbara.
3:45 pm. With the adrenaline of riding along the 101 and excessive energy from a good lunch, I enthusiastically ride straight into a deep, wheel-width gash. It does me in. Sobering reminder to be careful and that we are in fact biking on the highway. I had been complacent and hubristic from the expectation of ease. Today’s lesson: lock in. Pull over to change out the front tube. By the time we reach the next exit, there’s a new problem: the wheel is out of true. Bump, bump, bump once per revolution. Tighten spokes accordingly. Improvement but it’s not perfect. Thanks to JK for showing me how to do this a couple of weeks ago.
6 pm. Arrive in Santa Barbara. Just as we prepare to cross left onto the bike path by East Beach, my bottle cage gives out. It had been hanging on by one of two bolts ever since they got estranged near the oil rigs on Day 4. The single eyelet had been holding on through all those bumps and turns; metal fatigue. Pick up and continue on.
6:30 pm. Check into hotel by the beach. Cabrillo Inn at the Beach. J talks the receptionist into giving us a room on the first floor.
7 pm. REI. Luckily, now that we are in civilization, there is a REI not too far away and it stays open until 8. We hurry over to buy a new bottle cage. Bike feels zippy sans panniers. The mechanic, Damon, also gives us two free bolts for it and takes a look at the wheel. Turns out the wheel is fine and spoke tension also looks good (yay). The remaining bumpiness was simply that the tire bead was not properly set into the rim. He was about to clock out, so we just took the tip for an easy fix as homework. Applied fix outside in parking lot.
All things considered, today’s ride was still great. Aside from the mishap with the wheel, the views were excellent and it was a relatively easy and chill day. Plus it is less foggy and perfectly sunny and warm now that we’ve crossed over the mountains and gone further south.
8 pm. Bike over to dinner at Santa Barbara Public Market, a hipster food court. Organic Thai noodles. Then stop by Sprouts on the way home for snacks, strawberries, and ice cream.
9:30 pm. Eat dinner in hotel room. Wash clothes. J patches tube. Wheel still feels a tad weird so I reseat it.
12:45 am. Sleep. Long day.