Don’t know if this has ever been done before but there was a NorCal vs. SoCal Rumble in neutral territory San Luis Obispo County no baseball or basketball to determine superiority just some camping and bike riding loads of fun!
I picked up Evan in Valencia and headed North to San Luis Obispo three hours later we met Doug at the El Chorro Regional campground. Doug had ridden the 20 odd miles from Arroyo Grande and had already deployed his tent. Evan and I were itching to ride so we cajoled Doug into loading up and riding to Morro Bay State Park campground which was a pleasant ride into the fog (hey It’s hot in LA). We made camp in the hike & bike area and made friends with Danni a twenty something young lady cyclo-touring from Colorado and travelling from Seattle to Los Angeles she may have made it to San Diego but just not sure? She wanted to be self reliant she succeeded! We jumped back on our rigs and rode into town for sightseeing (around Morro Rock) and Dinner. Fish tacos, fish & chips, Cobb salad and great company. Saturday morning we had a leisurely breakfast coffee, tea and oats and made our plans to ride. We choose to ride to Montana de Oro (The Mountain of Gold) making our way through Baywood Park we decided to stop and eat some more, cinnamon rolls, frittatas and coffee with light drumming, guitar and harmonica a short distance away on the dock to create a serene atmosphere. Our adventure began when for reasons we lost Doug or Doug lost us! It was a minor hiccup; we met up at the Montana de Oro visitor center for a beautiful view of Spooner’s cove. All the while Doug was in contact with Manny and Jim Warren to coordinate the meet up. We decided to head back to SLO and El Chorro campground 15 miles along Pecho valley road / Los Osos valley road to Foothill Blvd and then into the wind up O’Connor way. Manny & Doug were in contact (while we sloughed up O’ Connor doing anywhere from 6-8 mph) they had made it to the top of Bishop Peak and could see us in the distance! The three of us made our way into camp and did our set up when Manny & Jim using Jim’s short cut from Cabrillo Hwy to the site arrived! Jim on his proto-Hungapillar with fat tires and that awesome grey & red paint! Manny with his orange Hillborne, new mustache bars, huge rando bag of usefulness and beausage Grant would approve. The rumble was really happening it all felt right. Almost immediately the dapper Mike Allen drove In with his Atlantis set up with sprung saddle, upright bars and down-tube shifters the NorCal contingent was accounted for. Shortly after Mitch Browne a local around these parts dropped in to see how we were doing and visit awhile. Manny was collecting kindling, Evan & I were playing with Manny’s bike and the others were discussing, parts, bikes and Rivendell philosophy. Manny got the fire roaring and grilled fresh calamari with some dill sprinkled on, Jim and I cooked up bowtie pasta with a marinara sauce & gourmet sausage we were all filled sufficiently. There was talk about paleo this & that but hey pasta sure tastes good and we all knew we had a rumble to deal with the next day! Let the strategizing commence. …let’s see what the Riv bike count was? Two Atlanti, two Homies, a Hungapiller appropriately sized and a Nomish Hillborne with built in hijinx…wow its 12:30am quick dispersion…head on pillows and the Long Beach softball team with a serenade. Eye’s open and the smell of sausage wrapped in bacon and “Underwater coffee” ala Keven. Manny whirling away on a grind and an infectious smile…lots more talk and it was time to saddle up and get this Ramble I mean Rumble on! Doug was the master planner as he’s been rambling around these here parts for years, Daughter went to school up here and settled in Arroyo Grande…lucky cuss always has a reason to visit this idyllic area and have a place to hang his cap…the rumble took us back into San Luis Obispo over the 101 on Santa Rosa Street right on Higuera Street to Madonna Road I believe we travelled down Ontario Rd to San Luis Bay Drive and entered See Canyon Rd ( Doug can confirm)…up we climbed a rolling curvy road with a canopy of trees through a mixture of farms & orchards evoking times spent in Sonoma county, we took lots of breaks with lots of bike talk and of course photo-op’s; Jim has to be the Rivendell historian his knowledge is vast and has followed Rivendell’s genesis from Bstone day’s. We topped out on a ridge with views to the ocean and Morro rock in the distance shrouded in clouds. At one point I watched slack jawed as Manny bounded up a rocky hill like a sure foot goat all for an ideal camera vantage point, this was after managing to scale a barbed wire fence! Pictures (his) prove the worth of his endeavor. These feats are common place for those in NorCal who witness such feats and we have gleaned some from the group but to see him in action is something. >From the top Doug lead us down a fantastic downhill that went on for miles there were smiles everywhere! The descent I believe was Coon Creek/ Prefumeo Canyon Rd exiting on to Los Osos Valley Rd to Foothill and into San Luis Obispo for Sandwiches at Ben Franklin’s and of course more camaraderie…there was this sandwich called” Da Bomb” can you guess who ordered it? Evan bought a yellow Ben Franklin T-shirt…perfect. On Cabrillo Hwy the rumble really heated up with Mike & Manny doing a breakaway up one of the last consequential hills’’ it hurts so good!” “I may chuck this Bomb!” “This feels right”…onward to El Chorro! In the end it was bittersweet, digital friends made real by “Rocks & Fire” spirited discussions love of bikes a brotherhood for sure…all good thing must pass… Ah but there’s talk of a West coast ramble in 14’ where you wonder? There’s this soggy spot in the North that routinely gets the nod for friendliest bike town in the US of A. Maybe a rally is in the works? …was there a winner between the North and South? You betcha! Medals for all! Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedalpusher61/sets/72157634843502166/show/ ~Hugh"Ramble on" Smitham -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. 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