Our ride followed the border wall for most of the day and we got closest to touching it riding through the small town of Jacumba.
We knew we had a big descent this morning and oh how sweet it was to bomb down it. And it was on I-8 so big wide shoulders provided a “no holding back downhill ride.” At nine miles it was one of the most exhilarating rides I can remember.
We also knew it would be cold with the headwind so we layered up. I tried to get video on my iPhone of the spectacular scenery but I got going way too fast on my bike to steer one handed and I didn’t bring the GoPro this trip.
After the descent we began a 33 mile section of flats that in some places, were below sea level. Such a different ride from yesterday. 😅
As we road into Calexico we cycled through the immense solar farm known as the Imperial Valley Solar Project. It was IMPRESSIVE and one of the largest in the world.
We stopped in Jack In The Box in Calexico for lunch and were ready to head out 25 more miles after having put in 58 miles already but then thought twice about putting two 80 mile days in back to back. So we decided to pivot and get a room for showers, laundry, a proper meal and some football playoff games. ‘Cause you know, we’re on vacay.
Thanks so much for following along, for your encouraging words, prayers and thoughts.
More of the same today with regard to sun, bluebird skies and climb but dang it’s like we’re in Bicycle Bootcamp with the headwind. It was cold and relentless most of the day – so much so, we didn’t make it to our planned stop.
We woke up very cold despite sleeping in our puffy coats and other cold weather clothing but the rain the night before made everything wet and damp (and colder).🥶
Remember Dahlia mentioning the aggressive male turkey when we checked in?
Well guess who showed up for breakfast and then chased us out of the campsite because we had no turkey kibble for him and his lady friend.
Because of the rain last night Tom had to pack up the tent soaking wet which made for very cold hands and a heavier load. We dried it out for a while but were anxious to get back down to reasonable elevation so it would be warmer to camp tonight. Remember that we are on an “Escape the Cold” bike tour.
Early in the day the route took us on the Interstate, or Freeway as they call it out here.
Once off I-8 we began a series of ups and downs and the headwind amped up. We road even less distance today but with more elevation. Tom was doing great waiting for me when I dropped back but my stamina was diminishing. We were running out of light again, and determined we wouldn’t make the next 18 miles down hill to camp in warmer temps before the sun dropped behind the mountains. So we splurged on a small local motel.
Lots of reasons to smile today though! Mid day Tom found the perfect place to make lunch, water down and take a bio break.
And we did make it up and over the Tecate Divide.
Tomorrow we WILL get off this bump!
And we will get a more substantial dinner. 😂
To view more pics and vids click on the image below.
We are on our way and what a day it was! After riding four miles to the official start line we tapped our tires in the Pacific Ocean, ready to ride east.
Since this could also be called the “Escape the cold weather and gray skies in Indy” tour, you could say today we got what we came for. Blue skies and bike shorts.
It was most all uphill today and we have little training so we’re taking it super easy. The way my legs felt after riding just over 40 miles with some respectable elevation helped me appreciate all the training rides we did to prepare for other bike tours. Training matters! We figure in 1-2 weeks of riding everyday we should be good to go.
The bike ride out out of San Diego went smoothly and at the beginning it was mostly bike paths along the San Diego River. There was quite a bit of traffic in some areas but the bike lanes are well developed and cars appear to be used to sharing the road with cyclists.
One of our fave parts of the route today (besides pizza at Mike Hess Brewery and getting to the campsite) was riding through Mission Trails Regional Park on the Brother Junipero Serra Trail. It. Was. Spectacular.
We found a brewery/restaurant just five miles from our campground with amazing food and tasty bevvies. Even scored some carry out pizza.
And oh… we were told we wouldn’t encounter any bears on the ride yet here we are. I’m thinking this would work in our yard by our garden as a chipmunk deterrent.
It gets dark here super early and when the sun goes down it’s cold. We were in our tents by 5:45pm.
We knew there was rain in the forecast tonight and lows in the mid 30’s but when Dahlia checked us in she said to be careful. There’s an aggressive male turkey roaming about. That’s certainly a first for us. 🦃😂
Given we start our ride with a 13 mile climb, we’re really looking forward to that sweet descent toward the Imperial Valley.
We are camping on the beautiful lands owned by the Sovereign Nation of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. This proverb spoke to us.
Click on the image below for more pics and videos from today’s ride.
Yesterday and today our goal was to get to San Diego with bods and bikes in tact. Done and Done. ✅ ✅
Two on-time and comfortable flights on Southwest brought us to San Diego and we were even greeted by a rainbow.
As luck would have it, we scored one of Uber’s top 10 drivers in the nation. #NotEvenJoking
We met our first friend of the trip not on bikes but in an Uber. Since Porfirio has picked up well over 23,000 fares I considered asking him for his business card in case we need a lift up and over the Tecate Divide in a couple days. Instead he asked for our blog address card which we happily gave him.
Bikes came through travel without a hitch and in no time Tom had them reassembled and lubed up. We put bike bags on and decided we deserved a burrito for all of our efforts.
After Mass on Wednesday morning which happens to be Tom’s birthday 🥳 we took a stroll through Historic Old Town which took up most the morning until we did a little shake out bike ride to the start line where we will begin tomorrow at the Pacific Ocean, dip our rear tires in the water and then begin riding east.
There’s a bit of planning, a little luck and a lot of working together to get to the start of a 3,400 mile bike ride. And even more to reach the end. We’re ready to launch!
Click on the image below for more pics and videos.
Happy New Year all! In a little over a week we’re heading west to San Diego to begin our trip to Key West. Just the two of us. On our bikes.
It’s not our first cross country rodeo yet each one brings its doubts and questions. On our first ride in 2018, Northern Tier, we wondered, “Can we really even DO this?” Each day we pedaled further and our confidence grew to thinking in terms of WHEN we finish instead of IF we finish.
When we took on the Great Divide in 2021, border to border, we wondered if the elevation and the remote route itself would do us in. Taking it a day at a time we learned this old grandpa and grandma could still do some hard things.
So even though we’ve criss-crossed the continental US on bikes, we know Southern Tier won’t be a slam dunk. We haven’t had an opportunity to properly train outside (like, at all, no rides), loose dogs on the run are a “thing” in Louisiana and Mississippi (my biggest fret) and every day FOX and CNN report troublesome stories from our southern border in areas we will be riding through. And we’re riding our Salsa Cutthroat bikes which are better suited for gravel riding instead of road riding. None of those are show stoppers though so let’s go!
Why ride the Southern Tier route and why now? That’s what most of our pickleball buddies want to know. Check that out here.
Then, they want to know what we are going to take? Here’s Tom’s list and a photo of what he’s taking.
Here’s my list and a photo of what I’m taking. Oh and of course I’m taking my bike but it’s already boxed up and ready to go.
It’s overkill on the warm clothes but we think it’s going to be a little chilly when we start and hope to send a box of clothes home from New Orleans, along with the beads we score from Mardi Gras.
This is all we’ll need for about two months. Really gonna miss those pickleball paddles though!
Another FAQ. How are you and your bikes getting to San Diego? In the past we’ve taken our bikes with us on the Amtrak to the starting point. On our first cross country ride we took them to REI. They boxed up the bikes and sent them to Bellingham, WA where they reassembled them and we picked them up.
This time Tom did it all! He got used oversized e-bike boxes from a local bike shop. Then he took the bikes apart, secured them with leftover packing material and they are being shipped via BikeFlights to our hotel in San Diego where he will unbox and reassemble them. We’ve never done this before but lots of people have so let’s see how it goes. See the pics below for what they look like disassembled and what they look like loaded and ready to ride.
EVERYONE wants to know, what are we going to eat? We don’t take a stove and usually eat one meal a day in a restaurant so we just load up on snacks for a day (or two) until we find a convenience store. Below are the food items that should get us through the first few days. The route isn’t near as remote as others we’ve been on. And just so ya know, there’s four big ole Paydays in there (thanks Finn) and sorry kids, the Sno-Caps are already eaten. I really tried to wait. #NoWillPower
There is something about a long distance self-contained bike trip that recalibrates our gratitude meter. Right now we are especially grateful for our furnace, coffee that is ready when we roll out of bed at 4:30am every morning, the ability to go to the fridge for a cold bevvie, and an inside potty in the middle of the night. And let’s not forget about clean bed sheets. All soon gone but in exchange, we’ll find some new friends we’ve yet to meet, spend time outside on bikes every single day and maybe even see some stellar scenery. I’m sure we’ll get a couple of good stories out of the ride, too.
But beyond the conveniences of home, we know we are going to miss our family, friends and neighbors the most. There is nothing like the absence of loved ones that endear them to us even more.
We’d love to have you join us virtually from your hometown, your own winter escape or even as you begin to plan YOUR 2023 bike adventures. More to come from #TomNDeb
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Keep Calm and Pedal On 