What Have We Here?

Recent History:

Ventura County Fair Parade – 8/2: Our second parade in less than a month? Yeah, well, the Fair folk invited us specifically – I suppose to break up the monotony of all those less imaginative folks who roll, clomp or trudge along in a straight line. This parade started at Ventura High School and topped the cemetery hill on its way downtown. My odometer hit 8 miles from the parade staging area to the finish line – a bit more than the official 1.7 mile parade route distance. There were about 15 of us this time around, with Sy riding as our lone proponent of two-wheeled cyclery (not counting Yma's Burley trailer, of course); we even managed to talk Tom into trying a trike. We're featured for about a minute of the two-hour-long parade video that was telecast on most local cable TV systems. I have a digital recording of it that we may find some practical way to share. Website photos were shot by Jason, Dave, Wanda, Yma and me. After the parade most of us rode down to Joannafina's for brunch – via the shortest route, of course. Maybe for our second and third group rides this month we'll get back into the routine of real routes...?

8/16: Yes, sometimes we do just get together and ride. On this day about 18 of us met at The Palms in Oxnard, all non-virgins this time around, except for Brent's Catrike Expedition and Michael's Baron. It was great to see Diane, DaveMc, JohnC and George-Ann again. After coffee, apple fritters, some shuffling of post-ride transport and a bit of socializing, we geared up and headed down to Johnson Creek Park for our first pit stop... well that is except for a few folks following from the front and one that we lost off the back of the pack. Anyway we were all together again as we arrived at the Port Hueneme pier, and managed to stay that way – more or less – to lunch at Pirates. Although our history with the restaurant has, for the most part, been fairly good, brunch this time around was marked by service that sadly was way too slow – and overpriced. We were highly honored and appropriately appreciative that the lately elusive Christy took time off from her garage sale to meet us and enjoy(?) some kind of Shirley Temple-ish beverage. After leaving, the group split apart with some of us racing home, most taking the shortcut by turning on Gonzales, leaving only four of us to take the full tour through River Ridge. I'm betting I had the highest odometer reading of this ride at 30 miles. Pix were shot by Stephen, Kay and me.

Sunday, 8/24: Every three months or so, we have a three-week gap between our regularly planned Saturday rides, and as usual we filled in with Deena's favorite route, starting at Viola Park in Carpinteria and riding up to Santa Barbara beach. Although Deena has tried to distinguish herself within the group by adapting the self-deprecating sobriquet 'Pokey Patrol', this time around there was at least a chance that she might become better known as 'The VAMP' – an acronym for 'Very Absent Minded Professor'. The group waited very patiently (at least most of us) as she and Kay made an emergency run back to our shop for cleated shoes to fill in for those that had been forgotten at home. At least the coffee and fritters (almost?) held out until their return, and Christy dropped by to entertain us and introduce everyone to her newly discovered brother. Phil, Lora and Rich rode up from Ventura, and a few other gung-ho guys took the hilly route above Carpinteria as about 20 of us eventually hit the road up north. We all made it up to the beach (and back as well) with very little drama – no flats, nobody lost, no casualties to bikes or bodies.

After leaving the beach, most of us stopped at Xanadu in Montecito, which may have become my favorite brunch station now. As usual the group strung out a bit on the return, with the last stragglers making the (now apparently mandatory) stop at Foster Freeze. This always seems to be a great ride for our group, but this time around may have been even better than most. As I rounded the turn approaching the Biltmore, where that first-time view of the harbor is really striking, a flock of four pelicans was flying in formation above Kay and Deena. I missed that picture, but gave Stephen an assist with a few others.

Ride Schedule:

This is a brief listing of some of the upcoming cycling events that may be of interest to our group. Links are provided for more info where applicable.

• Saturday, September 6th: First Saturday VCRR Group Ride – Museum of Ventura County parking lot, Santa Clara and Junipero, downtown Ventura
• Saturday, September 20th: Third Saturday VCRR Group Ride – Museum of Ventura County parking lot, Santa Clara and Junipero, downtown Ventura
• Saturday and Sunday, November 1st and 2nd: Special VCRR Group Ride and Overnight Campout, aka Recumbent Refuge, Ventura to Refugio State Beach

Other News:

For the First Saturday VCRR group ride next month (9/6) Kay and I will probably still be out of town. Unless and until someone else in the group opts to volunteer as ride coordinator, we'll plan for everyone to meet in our 'usual' place and time – the Museum parking lot at about 9AM. Click for a simple map or directions for driving to the start.

Pete and I are looking into making photo CDs of all the pix we've posted on our website from about 2004 through June of this year. If you're interested in having one of your very own – virtually free, of course (less than $1 each) – please let me know via email, by phone or in person. All you fans of subpar poetry, amateurish attempts at half-hearted humor and/or unmerited character assassination may want to check out the newest addition to the Poetry on Wheels section of our shop website.

We're getting some input for the overnight campout planned as part of a weekend-long group ride this Autumn (cyclists never use the term: Fall!), with details posted on BROL (in the Events section). Please take a peek and either comment there or ping me directly with any responses, suggestions, encouragement or criticism. As I've mentioned, all you RVers who want to drive up for camping at the beach should reserve a spot ASAP. Folks who ride into the Bike and Hike area with their camping gear will not need reservations. I'd really like to get your feedback about this outing, however you feel most comfortable expressing yourself, as soon as you have something (anything!) in the way of a response or (even reasonably unrelated) reaction.

As always, please contact either me or John Axen with any comments, questions or anything on any topic you feel is pertinent (or impertinent), that you'd like to share with the group. For convenience my email link is:

If you newbies or folks who haven't ridden with the group for a while need help or more information for getting to any of our rides, please email or phone me. Our business (cell) phone number is 805-794-0718 (Hours roughly 11AM-3PM Tuesday thru Saturday). If it's more convenient you can also call our home phone: 805-981-0339.