Ride Summary

Distance: 65 mi
Climbing: 666 feet
Descending: similar
Difficulty: medium
Link to workout in Strava

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Link to photo gallery from this trip - sorry, I won't be able to link individual photos in these posts!

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The train ride went smoothly and I debarked at dawn in Sacramento. Downtown is still asleep. Headed to get fueled up before riding, and found some very reasonably priced biscuits and gravy at a highly rated diner across from the state capital, and an overpriced coffee at an underrated corporate chain store. Applied sunscreen and turned south, heading out of town.

Headed out of town along more of the great bike path along the river that I so enjoyed last time I was in town, almost a year ago. That part was great for more than 10 miles but I eventually ended up back on the road, where an inattentive driver almost drove over me before waving apologetically. Hopefully that's the worst I encounter this trip. No damage dune.

The route overall is pretty decent; for much of this week I'll follow the lower 2/3 of the Great Central Valley bicycle route which I used the top third of for inspiration in a tour back in January. Some of the landscape feels almost familiar from that tour.

Sacramento sprawl carries on for many miles; I rode back into the city limits around mile 20 of my ride south from downtown! I rode past some road closure signs as I headed on into the rural spots between towns, and here the agriculture and wetlands took back over. As I rode through The Cosumnes River Preserve I did indeed have to route around a closed bridge, off the "official" route - but it was another low traffic road populated mostly by birds.

Just after I left the preserve (whose facilities were closed due to government shutdown), a road bike rider caught me and we chatted and rode together for a few miles, he slowing down to my speed and letting me draft off him a bit. Not a lot of cyclists once I got out of Sacramento...

Next up I ran into Will, who is doing a faith walk - 18 months across at least 31 states and leaving it in God's hands. I guess it's going well, or anyway, Will was kind and friendly and we wished eachother safe travels and I carried on. He warned me that my "Angel Number" might go up due to the encounter...

All day I was driving through fields of grapes (and also cows, olives, and a few fruit farms). All of the grapes still hanging are either actively rotting or just on the verge, so I ate a few and they are universally the sweetest grapes I have ever had. I guess fully ripe fresh grapes test better like just about all fresh veg? Regardless, interesting to see that the olives aren't really started yet vs January when they are coming off the trees!

Stopped for lunch at a tasty taco stand in SomeSmallTown but kept on for Stockton for the evening. I had thought I might find a homestay through WarmShowers.org but that fell through so I got a cheap hotel and met Lori's father Larry for dinner at a Texas-themed steakhouse. It was decent food and company but I didn't love the hour of driving to/from the place. I'll probably turn down future offers that require a car ride mid-bike-tour, kinda feels bad to cover a day's work in a few minutes and then go back to riding...

Apparently I forgot to pack shorts, so gonna try to get something done about that...