Avila Beach to Lompoc, CA September 12, 2018 Distance:  44 miles Elevation: 2,219 feet Moving Time:  4 hours 7 minutes Conditions:  Start — Foggy, 61 degrees F.  End — Sunny and a cool 71 degrees Today's Takeaway: There are those who have wealth and those who work hard to feed those with wealth. Maybe it was the … Continue reading Pacific Coast Bike Tour — Day 5 — Avila Beach to Lompoc, California

San Simeon to Morro Bay, CA September 11, 2018 Distance:  30.5 miles Elevation: 952 feet Moving Time:  2 hours 49 minutes Conditions:  Start — Sunny, 64 degrees F.  End — Not a cloud in the sky, 71 degrees Today's Takeaway: Time slowed down on this outstanding Tuesday. Today's ride brought me back to the California of my past … Continue reading Pacific Coast Bike Tour — Day 4 — San Simeon to Morro Bay, California

Big Sur to San Simeon, CA September 10, 2018 Distance:  60.9 miles Elevation:  5807 feet Moving Time:  6 hours 36 minutes Conditions:  Start — Sunny, 71 degrees F. End — sunny, 74 degrees Today's Takeaway:  Hills are the bane of my existence. Two years ago, my sister-in-law, Stephanie and I were biking a mile-long hill near our Arizona … Continue reading Pacific Coast Bike Tour — Day 3 — Big Sur to San Simeon, California

Monterey to Big Sur, CA September 9, 2018 Distance:  23.5 miles Elevation:  1,780 feet Moving Time:  2 hours 25 minutes Conditions:  Start — Foggy, 57 degrees (F). End — sunny, 74 degrees Today’s Takeaway: It was a day of beauty and nice people. Today’s ride is complete, and I meet my wife at the River Inn, a […]

Monterey, CA — Transition Day September 8, 2018 Distance:  20.1 miles Elevation:  677 Moving Time:  2 hours 13 minutes Conditions:  Start — partly cloudy, 62 degrees (F). End — sunny, 69 degrees Today's Takeaway: First days are the most difficult (even in paradise). My wife and I are finally ready to enjoy today's relaxing ride around the … Continue reading Pacific Coast Bike Tour — Day 1 —Monterey, California

Last summer, on the next-to-last evening of riding the week-long annual cycling event known as RAGBRAI, my friend, John, a former college classmate and I were sitting near the stage of the organization's tent city listening to musicians do their thing. After our second beer, we agreed that the daily rides of 50 to 75 … Continue reading RAGBRAI and Beyond

I'm like many of you, a cyclist who enjoys the hypnotic humming sound of bike tires on the asphalt,  the feeling of accomplishment when a ride is completed, and setting an example of fitness for our children and grandchildren. I'm more stubborn than I am athletic, especially when I set distance goals or participate in … Continue reading A Little About Me

Foggy mornings known to challenge even the most experienced cyclist, vacationers swerving along in rented RVs, and unrelenting  hills that will tax the very essence of my abilities. That's what lies ahead for my bike tour down the heart of California's most scenic region late this summer. The payoff? Surreal images of the Pacific, giant … Continue reading Biking California’s Coast

Welcome to my Rides Like These website. Several years ago, 2013 to be specific, I decided to begin cycling competitively, albeit at a grandfather's pace.  I scoured cycling sites, blogs, books and magazines for information on how to get things rolling. And I listened intently to the experts at my local bike shop about big issues … Continue reading Rides Like These