Day 2: Sunday 3/06/16, Alpine, CA to Live Oak Springs, CA

Day's Distance:  32 miles

Total Distance: 75 miles

Elevation Gain: 4475 feet

Map of today's ride:

Fortunately the first day of this year's C2C the weather was beautiful, as a weather change overnight resulted in today's conditions being terrible. During the night, I could occasionally hear rain drops hitting the tent. This morning at breakfast and when we started riding it was dry, however, only a few miles out it started pouring. Not only was there no let up, but as we gained elevation, we encountered either a strong tail-wind (the good kind), or a very strong and gusty side-wind (the bad kind.) Then toward the end of the ride, the rain turned into sleet. I was glad I had put my bicycle fenders on last night but in a continual downpour such as we encountered today, fenders will not prevent a rider from becoming thoroughly chilled and soaked.  For some riders, climbing over 4400 feet along with the weather conditions, they could not complete today's ride. Today's conditions were much worse than any encountered during the 29 day's I rode last year's C2C.

Today's ride destination had proven too cold in the past to camp this time of year, so our bicycles were put in locked storage and we were shuttled back to last night's camp at Alpine, California. Everyone felt a lot better after a warm shower and changing into dry clothes.

Due to the inclement weather, I only took two pictures today, so if you are interested in seeing the terrain of the country we rode thru, please open the link at the end of this post to last year's same day on last year''s C2C ride.

Similar picture was taken last year when leaving our Alpine, California camping site, taken before the rain started, but showing the dark cloudy day. Look at the same picture via the link for a comparison to last year's conditions.

We had one SAG stop today at about 20 miles. It was a mistake to stop as being drenched by this point and even though it was a short stop, the impact of chill to our bodies became overpowering.

Followup to last night's cramp discussion: Everything that was discussed yesterday to counter my cramping problem at the start of long rides failed. About two hours after going to sleep, I woke up to cramps in both of my upper legs. Then about an hour later I woke up to a cramp in my left calf. If this is a repeat of last year, I will have one lesser cramp tonight and then none the rest of the journey. (Or so I hope!)

Link to Day 2 of my 2015 Blog 

Day 1: Saturday 3/05/16, The Pacific Ocean at San Diego to Alpine, California

Day 1 Distance: 43 miles

Total Distance: 43 miles

Elevation Gain: 3530 feet

Map of today's ride:

Day 0: Friday 3/04/16, Bubba's C2C Clothing and Pre-Ride Meeting

Coast to Coast Clothing:

On the morning before departure, Bubba and his staff give each Coaster several items of C2C clothing.

Bubba giving clothing pickup instructions to the riders.

The items each rider received were the following: A rider's jersey, a short sleeve riding shirt, a long sleeve riding shirt, a fleece jacket, a fluorescent riding vest, a rain jacket, and a backpack.

Clothing items each rider received to commemorate the 2016 C2C ride.

In the afternoon an informational meeting was held where Bubba outlined the rider's daily routine, his expectations of the riders, as well as what the riders should expect from his 19 member staff. All staff members were introduced followed by each of the 37 riders giving a brief introduction of themselves. This was followed by an excellent dinner for everyone.

Tomorrow is the big day when we will be dipping our rear bicycle tires in the Pacific Ocean and we start our bicycling journey across the United States.

C2C 2016 Rider Demographics

Left to Right: JT, a recent graduate of Purdue, the youngest rider ever on a Bubba C2C (22 years old), Bubba, and Fred, from Toronto, the oldest rider ever on a Bubba C2C (82 years old)

Countries Represented       No. of Riders

·         The Netherlands              1

·         Canada                             2

·         England                            1

·         Belgium                            1
.         Netherlands                      2
·         United States                   30
Total Riders:                             37

States Represented

·         Hawaii                               1

·         Washington                      1

·         New Jersey                       1

·         Michigan                           1

·         Ohio                                   2

·         Illinois                                2

·         Wisconsin                          2

·         Tennessee                         2

·         California                          3

·         Indiana                              3

·         Missouri                            3

·         Florida                               9

Male Riders                                23
Female Riders                            14      (Largest Female Percentage of any C2C Tours)

Average Age: 61                      
Youngest Rider: 22 (Youngest of any C2C)
Oldest Rider: 85  (Oldest of any C2C)

Ride Route and Nightly Stops

2016 Tour Dates
	Where Day Date Milage Total Mileage San Diego, CA Friday 4-Mar Alpine, CA Saturday 5-Mar 42 42 Live Oak Springs, CA Sunday 6-Mar 32 74 Calexico, CA Monday 7-Mar 63 136 Yuma, AZ Tuesday 8-Mar 64 200 Dateland, AZ Wednesday 9-Mar 70 270 Gila Bend, AZ Thursday 10-Mar 52 322 Casa Grande, AZ Friday 11-Mar 78 400 Catalina, AZ Saturday 12-Mar 70 470 Catalina, AZ Sunday 13-Mar 470 Tucson, AZ Monday 14-Mar 44 514 Tombstone, AZ Tuesday 15-Mar 73 588 Douglas, AZ Wednesday 16-Mar 50 638 Rodeo, NM Thursday 17-Mar 59 696 Columbus, NM Friday 18-Mar 95 792 Columbus, NM Saturday 19-Mar El Paso, TX Sunday 20-Mar 77 869 Ft. Hancock, TX Monday 21-Mar 57 926 Van Horn, TX Tuesday 22-Mar 72 998 Marfa, TX Wednesday 23-Mar 75 1073 Marathon, TX Thursday 24-Mar 57 1130 Marathon, TX Friday 25-Mar Sanderson, TX Saturday 26-Mar 55 1185 Comstock, TX Sunday 27-Mar 82 1266 Brackettville, TX Monday 28-Mar 73 1339 Concan, TX Tuesday 29-Mar 74 1413 Concan, TX Wednesday 30-Mar Kerrville,, TX Thursday 31-Mar 72 1484 Blanco, TX Friday 1-Apr 59 1543 Lockhart, TX Saturday 2-Apr 62 1605 La Grange, TX Sunday 3-Apr 60 1666 Richards,TX Monday 4-Apr 89 1754 Richards,TX Tuesday 5-Apr Shepherd, TX Wednesday 6-Apr 62 1816 Silsbee, TX Thursday 7-Apr 61 1876 DeRidder, LA Friday 8-Apr 73 1949 Opelousas, LA Saturday 9-Apr 91 2040 St. Francisville, LA Sunday 10-Apr 67 2107 St. Francisville, LA Monday 11-Apr Franklinton, LA Tuesday 12-Apr 86 2193 Poplarville, MS Wednesday 13-Apr 45 2238 Ocean Springs, MS Thursday 14-Apr 68 2306 Dauphin Island, AL Friday 15-Apr 82 2388 Dauphin Island, AL Saturday 16-Apr Milton, FL Sunday 17-Apr 85 2473 DeFuniak Springs, FL Monday 18-Apr 55 2528 Marianna, FL Tuesday 19-Apr 69 2596 Tallahassee, FL Wednesday 20-Apr 75 2671 Live Oak, FL Thursday 21-Apr 78 2749 High Springs, FL Friday 22-Apr 48 2797 High Springs, FL Saturday 23-Apr Palatka, FL Sunday 24-Apr 85 2882 St. Augustine, FL Monday 25-Apr 44 2926 Ave. miles per day biked: 66.5 miles

Equipment and Training

 Equipment:

The bicycle I rode and crashed in last year's C2C was a 10 year old carbon framed Trek Pilot with Shimano Ultegra components. It was inspected by a Trek dealer after the crash for damage. What appeared to be a crack was found around 40% of the seat tube diameter.  Pictures were taken of the crack and sent to Trek. Trek looked at the pictures and determined the crack was only cosmetic and the bicycle was still safe to ride. Not understanding the technology Trek used to determine from a picture that the crack was only cosmetic, I decided to ride a different bicycle this year. I chose my eight year old, custom built carbon and titanium frame Serotta Ottrott. Last summer I upgraded the Serotta's original drive components to a new 11 speed Shimano Ultegra groupset. In the upgrade, I changed the standard-reach rear derailleur to a medium reach derailleur which will smoothly move the drive chain over a 11-33 tooth cassette rather than the standard 11-28 tooth cassette. The higher number of teeth allows lower gearing (and thus easier pedaling) which will be appreciated when riding over some of the steep hills and mountains that will be climbed during the C2C ride. I am reusing the same set of wheels used last year which were custom built with Velocity A23 rims and White Industries hubs with 32 spokes, designed to hold up well for long distance riding.

Serotta Ottrott set up for 2016 C2C. Note the click-stand used to support the bicycle. It is a handy little device!

Four other bicycle items were changed or added to the Serotta compared to last year's Trek bicycle. First, for added safety, I added a high lumen front blinking white light to improve rider and bicycle visibility for approaching cars. (Bubba currently, as well as in the past, requires a bright red rear flashing light to enhance your visibility for rear approaching vehicles.) Second, I am bringing along a set of lightweight SKS Racerblade Long bicycle fenders with pre-installed mounting clips that can be quickly installed if when we hit wet weather riding. I ride 700 x 25 Gatorskin tires and SKS recently modified their Racerblade fenders so they comfortably fit these slightly wider tires. Third, I added a Tubus lightweight titanium bicycle rack (8 ounces) which adds the capability to carry clothing items like rain gear, gloves, arm warmers, and any other items that may be needed (or shed) during a day's ride. Finally, I think most riders would tell you a major physical problem on long rides can be sore buttocks. In fact, one person last year developed blisters that became infected and caused her to miss many days of riding. Fortunately, since last year, I found a saddle made by Selle Anatomica that is basically a piece of leather suspended on a metal seat frame. This seat when set up correctly forms to your butt and immediately provides seat comfort. Brooks also makes a leather saddle that is much firmer which I have never found comfortable. I believe this new bicycle saddle may prove to be the best long distance bicycling equipment addition I made this year!

Selle Anatomica X saddle.

This year, the total weight of my bicycle set up ready to go with all accessories and gear is 26 pounds (Bare weight of bicycle before accessories was 17.8 pounds.) Not quite a sleek 16 pound racing bicycle, but a far cry from the 93 pound bicycle I rode in 2010 for 1331 miles on a self-contained ride!

Training:

Residing in the state of Washington for six months a year and in the Tucson, Arizona area for the other six months, one could say I am fortunate since I am basically in training all year long. Specifically, since January 11 to the end of February this year, I have ridden a few miles short of 1200 miles. The specific C2C training preparation I did within these riding miles was to ride mileages of 40 to 80 miles periodically on 3-4 consecutive days. I believe this riding cycle helps acclimate your body for the C2C daily average distance of 66 miles each day, within the daily range of 32 to 95 miles. I will know shortly how well prepared I actually am!

Introduction to the 2016 C2C Ride

About the blogger

Your blogger's name is Wayne Andresen, a 68 year old retiree who worked for 38 years in manufacturing, specifically the pulp and paper industry. Although at this point in life my favorite past time is bicycling, I am also an avid reader, and, I am sure my wife Cheryl, if asked, would also say I spend too much time each day in front of my electronic devices. Cheryl and I reside for six months each year in the Spokane, Washington area, and the other six months at Dove Mountain, about 20 miles north of downtown Tucson, Arizona. Living in those two geographic areas allows me to enjoy bicycling all 12 months of the year.

In 2010, the year I retired, a retired coworker and I took a self-contained bicycle trip from Spokane, Washington to Itasca State Park, Minnesota, the site of the headwaters of the Mississippi River. This ride, my first long distance bicycle ride, lasted 23 days and covered 1331 miles. The blog for this ride can be found at this link:  Rick and Wayne's Retirement Tour

In 2015, I signed up for Bubba's Pampered Pedalers Coast to Coast (C2C) ride along with 42 other riders. The ride started at the Pacific Ocean in San Diego and was scheduled to be completed 52 days and  2909 miles later at the Atlantic Ocean in St. Augustine, Florida.

The ride was an outstanding experience until April 4th, 29 days and 1570 miles from San Diego, I crashed my bicycle. I chose to deliberately lay my bike on its side at 12 mph to avoid crashing with another Coaster. The accident resulted in a compound fracture of my right arm adjacent to the elbow joint and 4 weeks in a wheelchair due to a badly bruised right hip joint. The elbow was surgically repaired and I was released to begin riding again in July, about three and a half months after the accident. The blog  for the first 29 days of this ride can be found at this link: 2015 Coast 2 Coast

Your Blogger Wayne Andresen (2015)

My thoughts shortly after the accident were to join this year's C2C ride on Day 29 and complete the ride to St. Augustine. However, it didn't take much time to realize I would not be content without completing the ride as a single event. Consequently, one year later, I am back in San Diego and ready to start the entire ride again!

About Bubba and the C2C Ride

I will let Bubba, our tour company owner and leader, introduce himself in his own words:

*****************

I'm Bubba of Bubba's PAMPERED Pedalers and host of your 2016 Coast 2 Coast Tour.

Born and raised in St Louis, I currently split my time between the St Louis area, Cocoa Beach, FL area and on the road wherever one of the many bike tours take me.

I am a retired police sergeant retiring October 2000 after serving the fine folks of St Louis for 28 years.  Even though I choose to live my life looking out of the windshield instead of the rear-view-mirror, there may be a time or two when I will look in the rear-view-mirror and tell a story or two along the way.

I became a serious-casual bicyclists in 1992 meaning I was doing a lot of riding however was never what many call a "gear-head".   I recall as if yesterday while using the copy machine in the detective's office a fellow police office came up to me and said, "You should try a week long bike tour, they are fun".  That was November 1992 and little did I know how that sentence would change my life.

A week long bike tour was tried, Cycle Across Missouri Parks, 1993.  I was hooked and have ridden in over 60 week long tours from 1993 thru 2000.

My retirement gift to myself was a fully-loaded solo bicycle tour across this beautiful country.  What an incredible experience it was.  It was while doing this cross country tour I decided to start Bubba's PAMPERED Pedalers with hopes of opening the joys of bicycling touring to others.  

I am looking forward to meeting each of you and welcoming you to the Coast 2 Coast family.

Being the C2C Tour Director is a hair raising experience!

 It's ALL Good!

*****************

Bubba does a fantastic job catering to his riders. For last year's 43 riders, there was a staff of 19 that took care of the needs of every rider. Each day's ride was mapped out with a cue sheet along with physical arrow markers attached to the road surface at every turn. Additionally, for riders with a Garmin bicycle computer capable of mapping, GPS files were made available that provided turn by turn navigation for each day's ride. SAG stops with water, Gatorade, soda and snacks were set up every 20 to 25 miles if commercial stops were not available. Also, if there were no restaurants on the day's route for lunch, a lunch was provided. A professional cook also traveled with the group and provided outstanding quality food at breakfast and dinner. Laundry service was provided every 3-4 days. Other staff included a bicycle mechanic and a very capable massage therapist. We stayed in either a Bubba provided tent, gymnasiums, or motels every night. Our luggage was always waiting at our sleeping spot along with an inflated air mattress when sleeping in a tent or gym. It is very easy to see why Bubba's business name is Bubba's Pampered Pedalers!