Manchester to Bodega Dunes State Park
This day really beat me up. It was 80 miles on rollers. The ocean mist came in early, so it was cold with very little views. But the worst part was the traffic as everyone headed back from the coast to San Francisco. It started getting noticeable about 10 AM, and got heavier and heavier as the day wore on (I think the fog was sending people home early.)
The hills got steeper, and the shoulder disappeared. It was the first day that I didn’t enjoy most of the ride — I was never able to relax.
Bruce said this day had more climbing than any other so far. (Only about 4,000 feet, so I think the traffic was what really did me in.) I came in more tired than any day on the trip. Russ was staff that day, and rather than cook, he took us all out of a very nice Italian restaurant.
Joe had to leave this day — he had to get back to Leavenworth to dance at Octoberfest.
Bodega Dunes State Park to Samuel P Taylor State Park
A short day — still hilly, but doable. As we headed inland (towards San Francisco), the weather improved, and it even got sunny.
Samuel P Taylor State Park to San Francisco
Into San Francisco!
The plan was for Tom, Beth, Benj, Candy, and me to ride together to the Golden Gate bridge (Russ and Bruce were in the van), then Bruce would take the van to explore the nearby bookstores and stay at a local hotel for the layover day. Benj, Candy, Beth, and Tom would ride to Tom’s place to spend the layover day. (Tom would then drive back to Bruce’s hotel for the luggage.) Russ and I were meeting my brother, Christopher, at the bridge, and he would drive us to B&B near his place in the Castro district. We would attend Christopher’s wedding — scheduled for my day off.
The first part of the day was twisting and turning on back streets. We were in Tom’s home territory. He had been gone from San Francisco for two months, and hadn’t biked where we were riding for years, but he was happy to lead us through the busy sprawl to (finally) a bike path that took us into Sausalito.
However, once we got to Sausalito, we stopped at a bike shop since Benj and Candy’s tandem had a rear wheel that was wobbling a bit. The mechanic took a look and said the rim was cracked. They bought a new rim and the mechanic planned to rebuild the wheel by the afternoon.
So now the plan was for me, Tom, and Beth to bike across the bridge. Bruce would drop Benj and Candy off at the Golden Gate bridge park with all the luggage, have Tom and Beth bike to Tom’s place and return with the car to pick up the luggage, Benj and Candy, and the tandem.
My brother picked up Russ and me. Tom and Beth got to Tom’s place and came back for Benj and Candy. The only hitch was that the tandem’s hub was also broken, and the mechanic had to special order a new one, and it wouldn’t come in until Thursday morning — the day we were scheduled to bike out of the city.