This is a description of a bicycle ride I took from Big Sur, CA, to Redondo Beach, CA, in June of 2012.

The preparations for this trip included building a new touring bicycle from the frame up over a period of about 2 months and buying a very nice and functional Ortleib handlebar bag and a bicycle specific map of the route from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. I already owned a set of panniers (saddle bags) I had purchased in the early 1990s. Since I planned to camp as many nights as I could I selected what I thought would be appropriate gear and off the bicycle clothing from my collection of lightweight hiking equipment. I included 4 one man freeze dried dinner entrees I had on hand and purchased and packed about 6-7 pounds of snack foods.

The loaded bicycle weighed about 66 pounds with no drinking water. I added about 5 pounds of water at the kickoff for a total of about 70 pounds.

Date: Monday, June 18, 2012
From: 29 Palms, CA
To: Big Sur, CA
Miles: 0

I left my home in 29 Palms, CA, about 10:00 AM and drove to my daughter’s home in the Los Angeles area arriving about 1:00 PM. My son Daniel, who had driven in from the San Francisco Bay Area the evening before was waiting for me and anxious to go. We moved my bike and equipment to his car and left about for Big Sur 2:30. We intended to stop in San Luis Obispo so Dan could buy food for the 2-3 days he planned to follow me. We did not see a market on the main route through SLO or in Morro Bay. We did find a small market in Cambria but Dan balked at the high prices and decided to shop as we went. We had a pleasant drive and arrived at Big Sur at about 9:30 PM. The State Park was full. We ended up paying $47.00 to sleep in the dirt at a private campground.

Date: Tuesday, June 19, 2012
From: Big Sur, CA
To: Plaskette Creek Campground. Lucia, CA
Miles: 31

After a decent sleep and a hot shower Dan drove me up the hill to the point where Highway 1 comes out on the coast. We unloaded everything and set up the bike and after a picture or two I was away at about 9:45. The route started down a pretty steep hill and I noticed that when I used the front brake I got a bit of front wheel shimmy which did not thrill me. This was my first ride on a loaded bike other than a few hundred yards on the flat around my home and I was a bit apprehensive about the whole proceeding but after that hill I never had another shimmy problem and the bike handled very well the entire trip.

On the drive up the hill to the starting point we had passed two bikers struggling with heavy loads. They both passed me within the first mile or two while I was stopped putting on some extra clothing including the zip on/off sleeves of my jacket. It was a pretty chilly morning especially for a guy used to 100 degree desert days.

About 6 miles out I came upon Dan waiting of me at a pullout. I stopped and he took a picture or two of me while I rested a bit. The two bikers who had passed me were there. One of them left almost as soon as I arrived but I talked to the other one a bit. He was a guy who appeared to be older than I. He said he had done the ”Southern Tier” last year (From CA to FL across the Southern states) and was going from Vancouver, BC, to San Diego this year. He was on a lightly loaded road bike and was quite a bit faster than I was. He left before Dan and I did but since he was a smoker I passed him one more time that day as he and his original companion were sitting by the roadside puffing away. I was impressed with their ability to smoke and bike on the rugged terrain we were traveling.

I sent Dan ahead to try to secure a campsite at Plaskette Creek which is about 30 miles from the starting point. In the meantime I kept grinding away at the ever changing road, up, down, up, up up, down so on. It seemed like a lot more up than down of course. As I was coming out of a single lane construction zone about 25 miles out Dan passed me going the other way. I stopped at the entrance to Lime Kiln State Park to wait for him. He had to go through the construction zone, turn around then wait to come back through. He said there were sites at both Kirk and Plaskette Creek. I sent him to Plaskette because it was a few miles farther south.

We stopped and set up shop at Palskette Creek because I wanted to have an easy first day and because the next campground was San Simeon SP another 35 miles beyond and over two very nasty hills which I did not want to deal with the first day. I think we got the last open car camp site. After we were set up the biker who had left the first rest stop as I had arrived came in and moved into the “hiker/biker” site. I went over to visit. He was David Thomas of Key West, FL. He had ridden to LA (state)then up the Mississippi River to IL and then across the “Lewis and Clark Trail” to Astoria, OR, and was on his way to San Diego. He was getting low on money and hoped to find a temporary job to earn enough to ride home instead of having to fly.

While I prepared one of the backpacking meals I had Dan went to the next town, Gorda, 6 miles south, to find food. He returned a couple of hours later complaining of paying $20 for a chicken sandwich, cold fries and a coke. One of the hazards of dining in a remote tourist mecca in June. We turned in early. I went right to sleep.

Date: Wednesday, June 20, 2012
From: Plaskette Creek Campground. Lucia, CA
To: San Simeon State Park, Near Cambria, CA
Miles: 36

Dan left early to find food. As I was packing up David came over but as I was obviously not ready he left. I got on the road about 9:15. The route was steadily uphill to Gorda, not overly steep but enough to be annoying. Dan was waiting of me at Gorda. I stopped for a few minutes to rest and chat. Beyond Gorda which is comprised of a restaurant and a lodge are two very steep climbs, perhaps the worst of the route. The hill starts at about 200 feet and goes up to about 900 before dropping down about 500 feet in preparation for another even steeper climb back to about 900-1000 again. At the crotch between the two climbs I passed David who was making some clothing adjustments. I told him I cold not stop which was true. If I had I probably could not have gotten myself going again for the second hill. I really had to push to make that one. I could have walked faster but I was stuck with the bike.

At the top David caught up with me and we started down. It was a nice fast decent, pleasant after all the hard work. At the bottom we came to Ragged Point, a restaurant, gas station, mini-mart and burger place. David got a very good looking burger for $6.00 which is a much better deal than Dan had found in Gorda the night before. We sat in the sun at a nice table and visited with a German couple who had started in Argentina and were headed to Canada (they had gotten lazy and skipped Mexico).

The remaining 20 miles to the San Simion campground were pleasant, relatively flat with a nice tail wind. We met Dan by the road a mile or so before the State Park. He advised us of the lay of the land. We pulled into the entrance and paid $5.00 each and rode down the hill to the hiker/biker site which is right next to the highway embankment. After a bit of discussion Dan decided to go home. We bade him farewell than set up camp. Already there were a French couple going south from Vancouver, BC, and a northbound German couple out of LA.

The French pair had a very unusual bike, half conventional and half recumbent.

Before the evening was over there were 14 bikers and one hiker present including a young southbound couple, a mother and son with the son’s girlfriend on a ride from Santa Cruz to Los Angeles, and 3 young guys who were doing 120 mile days in an effort to get to San Diego by Friday.

It was pleasant evening and a good time was had by all especially those who had had the foresight to bring beer and recreational herbs.

Date: Thursday, June 21, 2012
From: San Simeon State Park, Near Cambria, CA
To: Coastal Dunes RV Park and Campground, Oceano, CA
Miles: 53

I slept in until 8:00 and got on the road about 9:15. After a mile or two of nice flat road I had to climb a pretty stiff hill to get around the town of Cambria. From there is was an easy and pleasant ride to Morro Bay. I took the route from my guide book, Bicycling the Pacific Coast which I had purchased and put on my Kindle at the last moment, a good move as it turned out. The route wraps around the bay to Los Osos Road which it follows into San Luis Obispo before taking the Highway 101 frontage road through the coastal hills to Pismo Beach.

I cycled through Pismo Beach in a nice bike lane. My goal was to find the first campground and see if I could secure a site for the night. I was a bit concerned because it was close to the weekend and summer time to boot and a far as we could tell Pismo State beach has no hiker/biker facilities.

When I go to the entrance to the Pismo State Beach North Campground there was David sitting on a low fence by the road. He had left San Simeon about the time I got up and I did not think I would see him again. He followed me in to the entrance station and we paid $35 for a site. When we got to the site David decided he did not want to stay as there was a pretty vicious wind blowing directly through and also because it was early and he wanted to make more miles. I gave him his money back and he left. I decided to check with the ranger to see if I could move to the next campsite which had no wind at all. I rode back to the entrance station and was told it could not be done because it was a handicap site. I asked for and got a refund and started down the road after David. Dave had mentioned getting a motel for the night at one of the small towns down the road and I intended to try to catch and join him. In 2-3 miles I came to the entrance to the Oceano campground of Pismo State Beach. There was a deli on the corner and I decided to get some food. I purchased a tuna sandwich, chips, a piece of chocolate cake and a Diet Coke and sat at a table in front and ate it. It was very good. I had not realized how hungry I was. I had eaten relatively little so far and it was catching up with me.

As I ate I studied my map and book and realized that finding a motel to the south in a reasonable number of miles could be a challenge and I did not want to ride another 40 miles to Lompoc, the next decent sized town.

I had noticed the Coastal Dunes RV Park as I approached the deli. It was on the inland side of the road and appeared to be a narrow strip affair (it turned out to be about 40-50 yards wide and sandwiched between the highway and the main north-south rail line down the coast). I backtracked a few hundred yards and found the entrance. I paid $25 for a very nice small grassy site next to the tracks and close to the shower and rest room.

I set up my camp and had a nice hot shower then walked back to the deli and got another sandwich and bag of chips and a 6 pack of Diet Coke to take the next day. I turned in early and had a nice night notwithstanding a few trains passing seemingly through my tarp.

Date: Friday, June 22, 2012
From: Coastal Dunes RV Park and Campground, Oceano, CA
To: Gaviota State Park, Gaviota, CA
Miles: 62

I woke up at 6:20 when the garbage truck came and started horsing around the dumpster a few yards from my tarp. I got on the road at 8:15. I felt sluggish and not energetic at all. About 2-3 miles out I came to a junction with a route sign pointing forward and an alternate to the right. I could see that the road went up a big climb out of the river bottom it was in up onto the coastal plain. I went straight then had second thoughts and turned around and took the alternate hoping it might go down closer to the coast where the ridge looked lower. Big mistake! After about ½ mile the road turned sharply to the left and I was faced with a very steep ½ mile hill I was in no condition to climb mentally or physically. I got off and walked the bike up. There was no shoulder and I kept the bike next to the curb and walked in the dirt and weeds next to the road with plenty of traffic speeding by. Not fun!

At the top I resumed riding and came to the town of Guadalupe 12 miles out. I stopped at a small Mexican restaurant there and had a most delicious breakfast of egg, sausage, rice, beans and corn tortillas. That revived me mentally and physically and I felt fine the rest of the day.

About 15 miles before Lompoc the route leaves Highway 1 and follows Highway 35 towards Highway 101 before turning south on Harris Grade Road, with a 3 mile climb rivaling the two climbs near Gorda. After coasting into Lompoc I stopped at a drug store and got a new battery for my bike computer cadence and speed sensor. The battery had died during the morning. I went across the street to Starbucks and had a latte and a slice of banana nut bread then started the 15 mile climb from Lompoc to Highway 101 near Gaviota. This is a long more or less gradual climb of about 1000 feet on a busy highway with a good shoulder. My good fortune was a decent tail wind which helped considerably.

When I reached the top I had a fast two mile descent to Highway 101 where I got on the freeway shoulder. I stopped at the Gaviota Rest Stop after about 2 miles and took a break then coasted on down to the Gaviota Park entrance a mile or two further. I had originally intended to push on another 10 miles to El Refugio State Park but I was a bit tired and concerned about getting a spot on a Friday night so I pulled in and got a spot in the hiker/biker area. I was the only hiker/biker there and I soon found out why.

The wind. The wind! It was blowing pretty hard when I arrived but in most areas in the West the wind tends to die down and even stop at sunset. Not here. It actually got stronger after dark and blew with gusts of perhaps 50-60 MPH all night. It was like sleeping in a paper sack somebody was crumpling or a punching bag Mohamed Ali was working out on (the best similes I can come up with). Sometime after 4-5:00AM when I was finally sleeping well my tarp blew down. If I had not tied it to the nearby picnic table and fence it would probably be adorning some penguin in Antartica by now.

Date: Saturday, June 23, 2012
From: Gaviota State Park, Gaviota, CA
To: Motel 6, Harbor Blvd, Ventura, CA
Miles: 63

I woke up to a pretty good breeze. I had to pack and manage my gear carefully to avoid having it blow away.

The ride started with a nice ½ mile climb out of the park to the freeway followed by another ½ mile up onto the shelf the freeway follows to Santa Barbra. The route stays on the freeway for 19 miles to Holister Avenue at the outskirts of Goleta. I stopped at a fast food store in Goleta and had a burger and fries. I cruised through the UCSB campus and got on a bike path going towards Santa Barbara. Even though the path did not seem to be the official route it took me all the way into town where I came to the official “Pacific Coast Bike Route” which I followed to the beach and then about 15 miles around the coast on various roads paralleling the freeway to Carpinteria. Here I stopped at a local coffee place and had a latte and a delicious cupcake which perked me up considerably.

I had decided in the morning to do my best to find a motel in the Ventura/Oxnard area because the route guides suggest that Carpinteria and Leo Carrillo State parks are the last acceptable places to camp before Los Angeles and from Gaviota it is 45 miles to Carpinteria and another 45 miles to Leo Carrillo. I hoped to split the difference at around 60-70 miles.

I left the coffee house and within 2-3 miles I found myself on a very busy Highway 101, much busier than the section prior to Goleta. After ½ mile I had to choose between an exit and a highway bridge with no shoulder at all. Not wanting to risk a dead end exit I chose the bridge. As soon as I got on the bridge I was passed by a semi very closely, or so it seemed. That was perhaps the most scary moment of the trip. After the bridge the shoulder was wide and I had no further issues. After 3.5 miles I was able to exit the freeway onto the “Old Rincon Highway” which I stayed on all the way into downtown Ventura.

I shared this section of the route with an organized bicycle ride. I was passed by many groups of riders on unloaded road bikes who were traveling several MPH faster than I. This actually helped me along because of a tendency to want to keep up or go with the passing groups. I could not but it did cause me to go a bit faster than I might otherwise have.

My “Adventure Cycling Association” route map had run out at Santa Barbara. I had been too cheap to buy the second map to San Diego and now regretted it. I had read the directions in my Kindle book but could not remember them in detail. When I got to Ventura I poked and picked my way and quite easily found the route through town via Harbor Boulevard. I soon came to a Motel 6 and quickly decided to investigate. I got a room and moved in.

It turned out to be a good decision because the next day I saw no other motels until I got to Santa Monica. If I had not stopped I would have had to go another 30 miles to Leo Carrillo State Beach/Park which was much more riding than I wanted. I unpacked, showered and went out to forage for food.

Of the three choices, 2 fast food and one sit down restaurants, I chose McDonald’s because it was on my side of the street and I wanted to get food and take it back to the room and relax.

I ate a so-so burger and fries, talked to Daniel on the phone and fell asleep early watching TV.

Date: Sunday, June 24, 2012
From: Motel 6, Harbor Blvd, Ventura, CA
To: Herondo Street, Redondo Beach, CA
Miles: 70

I woke up at 2:30 AM. At 3:30 I went to McDonald’s to use their wireless Internet access and for food. They were not serving breakfast until 4:00 so I ordered a chicken wrap and a smoothie and proceeded to weed out my email inbox. At 4:00 I ordered a “breakfast platter”. It really hit the spot: eggs, bacon, sausage, an English muffin, a hash brown stick and 3 pancakes. Perfect biking food.

I went back to the motel and went back to sleep until 8:30. I got up, showered, packed up and set out for Redondo Beach. I had decided to ask Tara to pick me up there to avoid riding the final 15 miles uphill through heavy LA traffic to her house.

The first 30 miles of the day to Leo Carrillo State Beach/Park were pleasant. The road was basically flat, the traffic moderate and I had a slight wind behind me. I paralleled the ocean on Harbor Blvd for the first 10 or so miles. Part of Harbor was closed for a running event but I was allowed to go through. It was an unusually clear day. As I crossed the Santa Clara River I got a very good view of three of the Channel Islands off the coast. At Port Hueneme the road turns east for a 5 mile run to Highway 1. A mile or two after I rejoined Highway 1 I was back on the cliffs above the coast.

After I passed the entrance to Leo Carrillo State Beach/Park the road became hilly and the traffic much heavier. For the next 20 miles through Malibu I had to deal with not only the traffic around me on the highway but with cars parked and parking on the shoulder and pedestrians. When I finally got to the beginning of the bike path which runs from Pacific Palisades to Redondo Beach I was relieved but after a few miles on the path I started to wonder if I would be better off on the highway.

There were many careless and inattentive bikers, walkers of all ages, skateboarders, inline skaters and runners on and around the path. It did not help that it was a beautiful warm June Sunday afternoon. I had to be constantly on my toes. The 40 miles between Leo Carrillo and Redondo Beach were far and away the most stressful of the entire trip.

I got to Herondo Street at the northern edge of Redondo beach at about 5:00 PM. I called Tara and found that she was parked about 1/2 mile to the east. I rode up to her van and that was it. I was finished.

We put my stuff in her vehicle then we went through the drive thru of a popular Mexican fast food establishment on the way to her house. I ate my food and visited with the family a bit then moved my stuff to my car and drove home where I showered and went to bed.