Mid-Week Rides: Lunch on the Santa Cruz Pier

Wednesday, Feb 25 2015

Alberto writes:

It all started in the inimitable style of Chris…

“Short Notice Mid-Week Ride called for Tomorrow - 9:30am at Bob’s place in San Mateo. Ride to Santa Cruz for lunch and return, (Aldos, Zelda’s, the pier ?). Questions welcomed.”

Short notice, well! That is the understatement for this day, as he has done it many times. But, hey, who is complaining?

Yes. Shape up! You should already know, the odds are… Wednesday is the day Chris is afforded dispensation to go play (thank you Pat). Boss Pat has Wednesday morning activity and your opinion is not needed why she can go without permission and Chris needs her permission.

We met at Wwwobble’s house - Chris Weld (leader), Wwwobble (3 Ws and a double B – as I have been corrected), Marco, Markus, Joe (tovarishch – comrade Joe, who is from somewhere in Ukraine), Dave Emmet, and yours truly, Alberto.

In this manner we got going. No lollygagging. Mount up and head on out! Canada Rd to Old La Honda way to Skyline. You have ridden this before and know there is no better way to start feeling the “wendys” coming. Hit Skyline to Big Basin, but I get ahead of myself. Somewhere I have missed a road were we all had to stop at the Alba library (closed some 50 years now) as Wwwobble dimmed – head-bulb and bike! Fortunately the high beams still work, to get even for being called dimmed he rode at the back of the pack to insure he blinded everyone. Way to go Bob. Even!

Back to the story. Winged Weld wound West wishing when will wise Wwwobble would wisk willingly and take the lead… Nah, I am just playing with you all and the “Ws”.

Down Hwy 9, pretty ride. Short of Ben Lomond we made a left on Alba Rd. We have done this road before and never fails to make a vanilla ride into a pleasure. Okay, now I am lost… left or right on Empire Grade (who knows), lo and behold, before I could find my bearing we were in Santa Cruz heading for the pier.

Lunch was great. Prime rib for a measly nine Bucks! That, citizens is great value. Oh surprise, Markus eating otherwise from pancakes. Fish and chips that also looked good. Tovarishch Joe and I spend some time discussing the possibility of going to Peru on bikes. Hmmm… this guy (I just met him) is mighty interesting and I may add FEARLESS!

Time to head back. The group took off by the coast heading home. Dave and I took Hwy 17. My day ended with 123 miles.