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2024: San Luis Obispo

Total Distance Biked: 240 Miles

Day 1: I started the ride a little anxious, especially considering I had not ridden my bike the entire month leading up to this ride. I had little planning beforehand, as my initial plan was to take an Amtrak across the country, but I found out that it had to be preplanned. Despite this, it was beautiful weather for the ride, and the road was one I was somewhat familiar with. Overall, it was an uneventful day, but the ride itself was quite reassuring, as I arrived in excellent time. After dropping my belongings at a friend's house, I went out to explore the nearby campus and even saw a rocket launch



Day 2: The start of this day was quite cold and foggy, but I was energized and ready to hit some of the prettier areas of the trip. I quickly found myself on a freeway that would take me pretty far north. The cars slowly became scarier and scarier as I passed the many white crosses along the freeway. When the fog would give way, I could see the beautiful hills that went right up to the ocean. About an hour and a half later, I made it to the last stop before the tunnel I saw on the map. It was not reassuring that I would be biking a few feet away from cars and trucks going 70+ miles an hour.



A few other long-distance bikers making the trek north showed up at the same rest area, and I decided to follow one of them through the tunnel. He was a teacher from a nearby county and was on spring break. While going up one of the most excruciating climbs of my life, we talked about students, where the next generation was headed, and my life. After making it down into the green meadows below, I decided to part ways with him and continue on my own



The hills were green and rolling for as far as the eye could see, with black cows littering the landscape like pepper. I thoroughly enjoyed biking through this area, and I will never forget how peaceful it was. After an hour of peacefulness, I was thrust into a dry, not-so-great town. I stopped by a local grocery store for some food and decided to repack my bags. I moved one of them and realized, one of the screws that holds my rack together was gone. A single screw was holding my entire bag up.



After panicking, I decided to go backwards and stop at a local bike shop. I couldn't walk the bike as quite a few homeless people were eyeing me. When I arrived, it was not your typical bike shop. There were bikes everywhere, motorized mopeds, and the owner was extremely speed-y if you catch my drift. When he heard my situation, instantly became excited and said he could give me a screw for free, as he had “lost his years ago”. He was a mix of weird and funny, and he was precisely the person I needed in that situation. After telling me about the many backroads I could take and my path, I said goodbye and continued through the mountains once again.



My legs were starting to get tired, and the hills and heat started to blend. When I found a nice spot to camp, I waited for there to be no cars and booked it through the bush to make sure no one saw me. I spent some time contemplating life and eating my XL sandwich I bought before going to bed. Aside from a few cars stopping eerily nearby and waking up to mice near my head, it was a great night.



Day 3: After waking up, drying out my gear, and packing my bike, I made my way up to the street. I put my legs over my bike and pedaled, and experienced instant pain. My right kneecap felt like it was being stabbed, and even cycling up the hill was excruciating. I thought about my options, and of course decided to continue the ride, just slower. I spent a lot of the day in the “flatlands,” and seeing the farming community and small town helped put into perspective how far away from home I was. The stores were all mom-and-pop shops, and the visitors were few and far between.



The heat was getting worse, and the air was dry. It slowly became better as I approached the beach yet again. As soon as I hit the beach town, I was almost hit by two cars within five minutes. Aside from the near-miss (which really should be near-hit, but I’ll stick with what I was taught), I was enjoying this ocean town. After freshening up at one of the public beach wash-off showers, I made the final push into the next town over. I still wasn’t sure where I was going to sleep, but a friend of mine reached out and said he had a place I could stay.



My knee was hurting badly at this point, and each pedal strike felt like I was tearing my leg apart. My friend let me store some of his stuff at his place, and he drove me to his campus. He was in mid-terms week, so I helped him learn t-tests while my legs rested. We walked around the campus, and after meeting his extremely rowdy and intoxicated roommates, I opted to sleep outside.



Day 4: My final destination was near, and I wanted to get there early so I could spend the day figuring out where I would camp and spend the night. Yet again, pedaling on my bike was extremely painful, but the adrenaline helped. I got some food and decided to bike into the final town with my friend. After arriving, we parted ways, and I got to search for the best oysters I had ever had. For context, years prior, at a camp, a local event was taking place, and my dad had me try some of the best-tasting oysters I've ever had. I never forgot it, and it was my sole goal to find this place. After searching, I found it, and man, was it good.



After eating the oysters, I made my way to one of the main monuments of the town, the large rock. It is a huge rock that can be seen for miles away. Afterwards, I checked out the local sea otters and animals before spending the rest of the day at my campsite, only leaving to buy some food. I got to see two owls and some deer while sitting there. The campsite was quite nice, and I only had one other biker show up.



Day 5: After spending the morning in town, I made my way back to the train station and went home. I spent the train ride back thinking alone in the cabin about life, and what I could do with it. Towards the end of the ride, two people joined me in the cabin, one of whom had my dream backpacking backpack. After talking to her for a while, the man spoke up and told us stories about his life. He was substantially older than both of us and spoke about the wiretapping he did for the government, and how he spied on OJ and his mistress before the court case.



Overall, the ride was great, and it was incredible to experience it alone, as most of my other rides were with friends. It's a different experience and can be more lonely, but allows for some much-needed thinking. I would do this ride again, weather permitting, and I am glad I was able to find the time to do it in the first place!