11/3/19 – Lompoc to Santa Barbara

Distance: 54.13 mi

Climbing: 2303 ft

Did you know that in 1896, Susan B. Anthony said, “The bicycle has done more for the emancipation of women than anything else in the world.”? No wonder I feel so liberated.

Back to the ride…..

Backtracking a bit on our route to get to a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chapel, we started the day at church, before embarking on a leisurely Sunday ride.

Riding through miles of the Los Padres National Forest, we passed over hilly ranch land and climbed through mountain passes as we headed back to the coast.

After a miles long climb, we were just starting downhill, when I had a major tire blowout. Thankfully, it happened BEFORE I got up to speed, because at 30+ miles per hour, I would have crashed. Showing off his amazing tire repair skills, Steve duct taped the gash in my tire, replaced the tube, and put a boot (a rectangular piece cut from a tire, while we were packing for the trip) between the tube and tire. And it worked. We got back on our bikes and kept riding. Lesson learned: Road bike tires don’t have the thick protective barrier my touring bike’s Schwalbe Marathon Plus’s had. Cycling across the entire US and down the West Coast, I never had a flat–ever.

A few miles after finishing our big descent, we were back riding along the coast again.

We found out that since we left San Luis Obispo, we have been riding on the Camino Real, a 600 mile road that in the 1700s and early 1800s connected 21 Franciscan Missions. These bell signs mark the route.

This historic marker caught our eye when we stopped for a snack in a rest area. If you are a cyclist, you might want to zoom in and read it.

Santa Barbara is a beautiful city with really nice bike paths, multiple Habit Hamburger shops, and, apparently, S&H Green Stamps. Who knew?

Steve has been working on our route for tomorrow. We will be leaving the coast, after we ride through Oxnard, to ride up to Agoura Hills and stay with a friend if his.