Sunday, June 3, 2018

Bike Tour in the USA (2007), Part 38


Friday, Sep. 21, 2007
Stormy, stormy Night

Monterey?
Distance: 118.30 km, Time: 7:34:14 hrs, Total: 1,154.30 km

   In the late afternoon I reached Santa Cruz, a very nice city. It is the largest city and the county seat of the same named county the estimated population is only around 62,000 citizens.
   When I arrived it was evening rush hour traffic and therefore the road become very busy and sometimes it got real tight between the cars. I tried to keep near the ocean and accidentally came to the Casino Arcade at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It is the oldest amusement park in California and has everything from roller coasters and kind-friendly rides, arcade and skill games. I should stay for a while but today it got strangely dark very early.
   I continued to cruise along the coast but I could not find any suitable place. I do not want to ride in the dark but I had to continue to ride without light. As I passed a restaurant a guest came out, looked at me with big eyes and said: “Oh, a night rider!” I found it a kind of amusing.
   California is a car country like the rest of the USA. Unfortunately governments do not want to spend needed of money on road maintenance and in the dark the shoulders became so dangerously that I nearly fell of my bike two times! While I rode I clearly noticed a dramatically weather change; I could hear thunder in the distance. Even the song “it seems it never rains in Southern California” tries to suggest otherwise the heaven opened its gates and it actually started to rain. The wind from the ocean became very strong and I was glad that my daughter bought me a one-way raincoat before I left Taiwan. It offered some protection from the elements and today was the only time I used it during my whole trip. 
   It seems fencing every property and marking it with a ‘no trespassing’ and a 'gun' sign is a national sport in (the land of the free?) of the U.S. Therefore it took me quite a while to find a suitable place for the night. Behind some RVs and camping trailers I found a spot in a lay-by. The storm blew so strong that it was difficult to build my small tent; because of the rain I used the outer skin of it first time on this trip. I laid my bike in the shadow of the wind of my the tent; hopefully it would be there the next morning. My own weight and all of my bags were enough to keep the tent steady during this storm. 
   Despite the bad weather I had actually a very comfy night. The small, cheap and light one man tent was surprisingly water resistant and I was glad that I did not have to leave it during the whole night.  
   Travelling by bike is great but sometimes there are obstacles to overcome. On this day the weather was a great problem. So bikers have to be aware of problems. I suggest that everyone should have some basic bike repair skills and take some basic spare parts (foldable tool set, tire levers, inner tubes, spare chain lock or missing link, long shifter & brake cable etc.) but also a suitable clothes like a good rain jacket and, if possible, rain trousers. 
   Reading this some people might think "What the..." or "Why do you do this?" In my opinion bike touring needs a special 'spirit' to face and overcome the odds Mother Nature and often men are throwing at us. In the digital age it is possible do 'things' in the comfort of the home, here in Taiwan many young people are addicted to their computer that they do not leave home for several weeks, months or even years. I think life should be more than this.
   Confronting challenges let us grow out of our children shoes and even a stormy night might sound challenging it is actually quite safe to do so. It might be wet and uncomfortable but the reward of a bike trip by far outweighs these difficulties and let, at least myself, look at my world and my life quite differently. I made this trip 11 years (!) ago and still let me travel the same tour in my mind!
   For the summer of 2018 I am planning a bike tour Belgium - Luxembourg - Germany - Netherlands - Belgium based on these experiences you are reading from 2007! The bike frame, the fork, the tent, the bags etc. are the same and therefore have been literally a long-term investment. I know there is still room for development to pursue an even a better cycling experience.

(to be continued...)   

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