2010 California Coast Classic Tour from Johnny Lam on Vimeo.

But I digress. Happy new year to my few readers out there! The holidays came and went without much fanfare. As I grow older I realize I don’t want as much “stuff” as I once did. I’ve been on a consumption diet as of late. Leo Babauta of ZenHabits wrote a post entitled, “The Case Against Buying Christmas Presents” which I am very much in agreement with his views on what Christmas has become and why I don’t view it innocently like I once did. On my time off (compliments of my new employer) I spent time to reflect on myself. What really matters to me these days. I don’t want stuff to matter. I want experiences and relationships to matter more. Therefore, I’ve told folks I would rather spend money on an experience to enrich a person’s life rather than on something that can eventually break or be forgotten. If you’re reading this and you know me personally, please do not give me any more “stuff”. I would rather you take the money and donate to a fund-raising effort. I’ll take this time to pimp those out: 1. Tour de Cure which is a ride to cure diabetes. 2. CCC ride for the Arthritis Foundation. This will be my second year. The first year was AWESOME!

I’ve also been reading another blog called The Path Less Pedaled which documents the journey of a Long Beach couple, Russ & Laura, who decided to sell all their personal belongings and go on an epic bike ride in 2009. I have been reading their past posts non-stop on my in and out of work. This was when I ride the bus this week. So far I’m at August 2009 where they made it up to Portland, OR and have been cruising around there and are at the state of Washington. Both authors can write so I enjoy reading their recollection and Russ is a photographer so his pictures are amazing! Some are taken from his iPhone and edited on the fly. As I poured through their entries, I am constantly reflecting on my own situation. I don’t think I own as much stuff as they did but it is a considerable amount. I need to start going through my crap and throwing things away. Even though I’m not going anywhere (yet), I’d like to lighten up the possessions. I guess I’m striving for a more simple life. I’ve been striving for a few years now. To try to minimize as much as I can.

Another interesting point in one of Laura’s post mentioned the critical mass of stuff that needed to make a home feel like a home. To fill it up with the right things so that it was more inviting. Since they had to go through this mass cleansing, they found themselves torn apart by their stuff and their overall goal to get out on the road. I have similar sentiments about my current home of 2 years. I’ve be reluctant to furnish the place fully. My bedroom just has a bed and a side table that was given to me by a friend. My living consist of a lounge chair given to me by a friend of my dad and a futon bed given to me by a buddy of mine. Coffee table is something my uncle gave me that was sitting in his garage collecting dust. My rug was bartered for some work I did for a carpet company. I got my tv stand as a present for the gf. I did splurge on the TV. I’m slowly regretting that purchase but can’t bring myself to admit it because everytime I turn it on to watch sports, I am reminded why I “had to have it”. I’m being owned! On the other hand, I’m feeling the pressure to “feather my nest” so that it feels more inviting. I’m so torn.

On another note, I am going to be getting a new bike! The one thing I don’t feel guilty about buying for myself is this custom built Surly Cross Check built by the Flying Pigeon LA guys.

Isn’t she beautiful? Build details will come later when I go pick it up this weekend. It’s missing some lights and a chainguard in this picture.

The next afternoon, I had to make the journey back home. The toughest hill this time around was the one from Chino Hills to Diamond Bar on Grand. All the other hills from the previous day made it enjoyable since the grades was a bit more steep on the way to CH. I got up to 38 mph flying down Grand in Walnut. I got home a few minutes sooner than I did the previous night.

On the 27th, I took the day off from riding knowing that the next day would be the start of my bicycle touring / camping trip.

The next morning on the 28th, I left the house at 6:20 am. I was suppose to meet Jeremy at the Vermont / Santa Monica red line station at 7 am. I underestimated the time it took to get from my place to the station with a full bicycle load. Needless to say I was late by 30 minutes. We immediately took off riding down Santa Monica towards the ocean. After about 25 miles completed we rested in Santa Monica where we were greeted by a furry friend looking for food in Jeremy’s bags. We rested and collected ourselves and prepared for our next stop, which was going to be some 30+ miles away.

We hopped back on our bikes and pedaled north on PCH. We didn’t stop until we rode past Zuma beach in which I had to take a bio-break. I was feeling good and excited about the trip. I was eagerly waiting for the scenery to change from the rolling hills of the Pacific Coast. Strangely enough, the bottom bracket on my bicycle started to act up. It was making loud squealing noise off and on. Interestingly enough, that noise was gone after the first day.

The next time we got off our bike, we were at a cool rest stop outside of the Naval Base where they showed replicas of fighter jets and missiles. We had our first meal there. When we got there, there was a guy playing with 2 new puppies. The dogs were adorable but I didn’t approach him to talk about them. I was just zoning out from the ride. Eventually we see the same CHiP officer pull over 2 cars on separate occasions. It seem to us that this was a hot spot for this particular officer. Right when we were getting ready to leave, another touring rider stops by to say hello. He was traveling from San Francisco down to the southern border from Germany. He takes 2 months off every year around the same time to tour the United States. He was riding through Yosemite and was cruising through the area we were planning to visit. We wished each other safe travel and proceeded opposite directions.

We rode through Oxnard which featured a fairly busy suburban neighborhood highlighted with various service people driving their big trucks, sports bikes, or obnoxiously modified import car. It was a relief to finally get out into Ventura before sunset. That was cut short when the clouds prematurely covered our sunset and we were forced to ride in cold.

The final leg of the ride had us riding through 2 camp sites preparing our dinner, cruising through the 101 / 1 freeway, and finally highway 150 before we found a camp site at the side of the road. We spent the night covered in our tarps listening to the calls of bats and barking of dogs through-out the night. We finished 104 miles but I could not comfortably sleep. It was the fear of being caught that kept me up. I have to admit, stealth camping is not my thing. Jeremy seemed very content since he was able to sleep through the night undisturbed.

The next morning we crawled out of our slumber back onto the 150 highway. We proceeded another 16 miles through Carpenteria and Summerland until we reached Santa Barbara. Our focus this morning was to find a spot to have breakfast. We were able to locate a spot on a park right next to the ocean walk.

I enjoyed some oatmeal and a cup of hot cocoa. Also had a banana and some trail mix. What seemed to me at the time plenty of food for a ride, was certainly not enough for what was in store today. We packed up everything and got back on the road. The mission this morning was to locate more water since we were running really low. We followed the maze of bicycle lanes and routes through-out Santa Barbara and found ourselves outside of a Vons where Jeremy bought 2 gallons of water.

We finally located the road that was going to lead us up to the road to Lake Cachuma. To say that this road was tough would be an understatement. It was suppose to be only 15 miles of straight climbing. After the first 2 miles I was beat. I was really tired. There were switchbacks and hairpin turns that would take you up 4 stories up after 2-3 turns. After 4 miles, I gave up and decided to walk the bike up. The pictures below showed a very naive me thinking I can take on this mountain. Little did I know…

We made our way onto highway 154 which was a straight climb up. When I mean straight climb, it was a complete ascend up to the top. At the end of it all, we probably climbed about 2600+ feet. At that point, Jeremy wisely suggested we put on a sweater because it was going to be cold flying down. Boy was he right! We hit speeds of 40 mph flying with speeding cars and trucks. It was a pleasant ride up and down all the way through to Lake Cachuma. We finally had our lunch right next to the lake. I foolishly thought this was it. Jeremy had other plans. He was seeking for a fire road that was suppose to take us over to the beach the same day. Luckily for me, that road was closed to the public so I offered that we stayed at Lake Cachuma for the night. I was both mentally and physically beat. I did not want to climb more mountains that evening. Thankfully, Jeremy agreed and we got to camp at the Lake Cachuma area.

During the night we were kept up by frat boys who were extremely loud. They were freaking themselves out when a enormous raccoon invaded their site. The same raccoon came through our site and stole some bread off of Jeremy’s bike. Jeremy took the bread and threw it away from our tents. It was comically because I thought I was hearing him eat in the middle of the night while it was really a raccoon. And yes, that animal was fat and enormous!

The third day of the bike tour began with a rain in the morning. We spent our mornings preparing breakfast in our tent. Knowing that I had hills, I ate more oatmeal than usual hoping that this would help. We packed up and began our ride out in the rain. I didn’t mind the rain all too much. It was actually therapeutic as we ride 10 miles towards Solvang. We finally reached Refugio Road. Locals pronounce it as Refufio. A guy on his truck stopped by to ask us if we were doing okay. We told him we were good and asked him about the road. He said he’s done the hill and said it wasn’t so bad. I guess I took that literally because I was shocked when I reached to part of the ride where the roads were so bad that the only way a car could make it up these hills, is if you have a 4 x 4 vehicle. We climbed and climbed up this mountain. Our tires and mud guard on the bike was caked with mud. We stopped several times but managed to get back on the bike and continue to pedal up towards the top. My tires were not suited for that type of situation but I pushed on slipping and sliding. Fortunately for me, I did not fall. I was able to finally make it up to the top. Jeremy once again was able to reach the top well before I did and waited patiently for my arrival.

I was greeted by a couple of old folks exclaiming, “You look like you rode from China!” I didn’t know if I should be offended or not but I was thoroughly exhausted. Again, I had to put on my layers of clothing because at the top, we were amongst the clouds or fog. Descending on the other side, we were told was going to be step and fast. Jeremy went ahead of me since he had plenty of time to rest. On my way down, I bumped into the same old couple who wanted to take my picture. We talked for a few minutes and found out that they were from LA in the Ontario area. They had a place in Santa Maria and was touring the hills to see Reagan’s Ranch. The were retired teachers who had a lot to talk about. I finally got to leave on my descent down the road after they took a few pictures with me. It was a frigid ride down. Really not a ride but rather an exercise of concentration and arm control. The roads were slippery and the visibility was horrible. It took me about 10 minutes to fly down the mountain onto the beach. I was so relieved to have lunch after the crazy 3000+ feet of climbing we just did.

After lunch, we began the last leg of our ride to Carpenteria. It was going to be a 50+ miles ride on the freeway and through Golieta and Santa Barbara. Jeremy had an abundance of energy and I found myself about 1 – 2 miles back from him at one point. I finally catch up to him when we exited the freeway and began our trail on the bike lanes of Golieta and Santa Barbara. That was probably one of the most entertaining ride that I’ve experienced. We were weaving in and out of multiple bike paths which gave the right-of-way to the cyclists.

Oddly enough, I had lost my sleeping mat on the road and a motorist found it and returned it to me. I was so grateful. When we got into Santa Barbara, the sun had set and we needed to find water and snacks. We met a few veterans who asked for change. We gave them some change and one actually told us where to get free clean water. By the time we got going again, it was pitch dark. During this whole time I was thinking to myself how amazing it is that no one got a single flat. Murphy’s Law kicked in and I got a flat on my rear tire right before we entered Carpenteria. We had to pull over and I had to unload the bike completely. It took probably about an hour to change out the tube, load and unload my bike. We finally make it to Carpenteria and found that they had a campsite for hikers and bikers available. We gladly took the spots offered and setup camp. We ate and I took a nice warm shower before I went to bed. Jeremy on the other hand was exhausted so he went to sleep right after dinner. Total mileage this day was 67 miles.

The next morning we were suppose to leave by 9am. I was up by 7am. Even though I was the early bird, I was the last to pack up my stuff. Jeremy had finished breakfast while I was putting my tent away. I felt so lethargic and drained. The ride did not start out well. I was instantly left behind by Jeremy. By the time I got my pace back we were ready for our first break.

We proceeded down toward Ventura. Once again Jeremy ran into some problems with his chain. He worked on it for about an hour before we got going again. We kept pedaling until we reached Oxnard. We stopped at a park for a breather and then about 10 miles later we decided to grab lunch. We both agreed that a nice lunch was well deserved for our efforts so we decided to go get some good Mexican food. Our first restaurant meal included a combination of a burrito and a couple of tacos. I was stuffed. Once again I thought this was enough to last me through the rest of the ride.

We left the restaurant and proceeded to ride through the same Naval Base that we had passed 2 days ago. This time we just rode pass the aircraft and missile display. By the time I reached Point Mugu, my calves started to hurt. In fact, it all just went down hill for my body from that point forward. With about 70 miles to go, I was in for a tough ride back. We patiently ascended and descended the hills on PCH until we finally reached the Santa Monica Pier. Due to the fact that it was New Years Eve, the pier was especially crowded by tourists and family.

It was in Santa Monica where I felt the chaos of traffic begin to creep up on me. Not only was I exhausted, I had to dodge people and cars while worrying about my leaning bag and sleeping bag on my bike. I didn’t want to lose anything. Jeremy took me through Beverly Hills and through Korea town in which he showed me my way back over to Burbank. He was done about 20 miles before I was. By the time I reached home, I was in a daze, hungry, and drenched in sweat. The mileage I covered was 105 miles for the last day of my trip.

There’s something about carrying all your personal belongings with you on a bike that humbles you down. A couple of notable first would be my first and second century ride was accomplished on this trip. I rode on the freeway for the very first time as well. I also learned a lot on this trip about myself. I learned that I am in decent shape for a guy who only rides on weekdays and occasionally on weekends. At the same time I learned that I need to be in better shape and battle more hills around LA. I learned to listen to my body whenever it needs something. More food, rest, and bathroom breaks. I also learned that people are generally very nice, kind, and curious. Everywhere we stopped there seemed to be someone willing to start a conversation with us. They’d ask where we were heading or if we needed any help. It was good to know that in a world where everyone is closed in their cars, people would still be willing to talk to a couple of bikers with their entire possession strapped to their bicycles.

A big thanks to Jeremy who planned the route and blazed the trail for me. He was methodical and direct with his planning. Like I said on Twitter, he was a beast on his bike and I’m glad he waited up for me when I was struggling through the hills. Here are some pictures from his camera. He took much better photos about the journey. His camera was readily available than mine so my pictures didn’t capture everything. I’m looking forward to the next trip.

This past Sunday, I had the privilege to be part of a conclusion to an incredible journey made by Victoria Merriman. About 4 months ago, Victoria set-out on a journey which began 4,000 miles away in Boston Harbor. Victoria’s adventure brought her through 12 states and multiple blog entries which she took the time to give us a play-by-play description of her journey. I should know because I’ve been reading her blog since she was traveling through Texas. I actually went back and read all her posts since the beginning or even before the trip so when I met her I felt like I already knew her. Of course, I was teased for being the “super fan” of the night, when in reality it was a privilege just to meet someone so courageous as herself. Did I forget to mention to you that she did all this by herself? Yup, something that myself and many out there would be scared to death to do, she courageously accomplished.

I was invited to welcome her at 3:30 – 4PM on Sunday. The welcoming party consisted of friend’s of Victoria as well as folks she had met when she was in LA 6 months ago. We were informed by text that she was 3 miles away and she would arrive by the bike path. We hustled down from the pier to the bike path and waited for 15 minutes. She arrived to a roar of cheers and applauds. Here’s a quick video I took of her approach.

She quickly got off her bike and greeted everyone. Her emotions then got hold of her and she was crying with much deserved tears of joy. She celebrated her arrival in similar fashion as her departure by dipping the “Supertour” and submerging into the Pacific ocean. I remembered reading how she loved swimming and recalled from her recent posts that she hasn’t done much of that so it was nice seeing her getting in the water.

After a few minutes of soaking in all that is happening, we finally made our way to a public bathroom so she could “freshen up” for our celebratory meal and drinks. We decided to go to a restaurant in Santa Monica which was about a mile away called Library Alehouse. I had the pleasure of riding her bike over to the location for her. As predicted, I was the first one there since everyone still had to walk to their car, find parking, and walk to the restaurant. Isn’t bicycling great! I must digress.

While we waited to be seated she was interrogated by everyone about details of her journey. Something she must have done through-out her journey so I’m sure she was used to it by now. I confessed to her my favorite story was when she got to fly a plane without even planning for it. She obliged and entertained the crowd with the step-by-step account of that day. It was like I was reading her blog again.

We eventually got seated and ordered our food and drinks. More stories were told at the table and more questions was asked. It was great for me to hear a voice to the written words on her blog. It was even better to get a sneak peak of what had happened after her last blog post. At the time of this post, I didn’t know what happened to her from San Diego till now. We had mentioned to the waitress what we were celebrating and she congratulated the accomplishment by comping us 3 dessert plates for us to share. The manager also came by to chat with Victoria about her trip.

Our meal ended close to 10PM. We exited the establishment and took some group photos and got some solo shots with our heroine. Here is my shot.

Everyone said their good byes including myself. She is such an inspiration that I can’t wait to go on my camping trip next week. That’s right, I’m going on a 4 day excursion to Lake Cachuma up near Santa Barbara by bike. Even though the trip is only 200 miles, Victoria was excited for me which I know she’s taking pity on my meager mileage given the fact she just finished 4000 miles.

Read her blog to find out more about her journey at http://www.victoriasblog.com. She’s a great writer and you will be entertained as much as I was.